This paper is an account of the Theatre VCU mainstage production of Pride & Prejudice, in which I played the roles of Mrs. Bennet and of the vocal coach. In order to address the various skill levels of the cast, I planned to coach the production in a manner inspired by immersion language learning programs, with the cast speaking in dialect throughout the rehearsal process so as to learn the necessary vocal skills and to grow together as a theatrical ensemble. When the director of Pride & Prejudice was not receptive to this plan, I had to compromise and adapt while fulfilling my duties as actor and coach. The paper includes my initial ideas, a detailed account of pre-production, rehearsals, and performances, and an analysis of the many lessons I learned about artistic collaboration and the art of dialect coaching for the stage.

The Michael Chekhov Technique is a unique approach to acting that has been successfully used by professional actors for many years. This thesis explores finding a strong understanding of the technique as well as discovering ways to incorporate it into an undergraduate actor training program. The examination aims to further my aesthetic both as theatre teacher and practitioner. It includes training with master teachers in the technique, incorporating Chekhov exercises into undergraduate acting and movement classes and use of the technique on a production of Pride & Prejudice.

This thesis details my process in teaching a class I devised, entitled, "Singing for Actors and Acting for Singers," in an attempt to develop a pedagogical bridge between singing and acting. In this thesis, I discuss the need for creating this course and evaluate how effectual it was. Additionally, I detail my research, curricular development and students' responses to the material.

The Visual Staging of Audio Plays explores the directing practice of radio dramas that are staged for viewing purposes rather than their typical solo-auditory purposes. The thesis is comprised of three separate parts: a brief history of theatrical sound, an introduction to radio drama theory and practice, and application. The application portion is a detailed first-person account of my personal experience staging It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play by Joe Landry for TheatreVCU’s Mainstage winter special event in 2015. It is also in this section where I integrate history, theory, and practice to formulate technique for directing the genre for stage.

Gestalt Work for the Actor is a documentary about Dr. Renee Vincent's Gestalt acting exercise. Students are trained to recall powerful emotions and then employ the conjured passions into performance. This documentary examines the Gestalt acting exercise and what benefits it affords actors. The accompanying production book explains the production processes: preproduction, production, and postproduction, as well as the theoretical approaches used in the documentary.

This thesis will set out to examine the process needed in order to deliver the character of Hamlet as a fully dimensional, complex human being who transcends time periods and class distinctions to connect with any audience of any background. This text will include biographical information about the author, William Shakespeare, as well as historical information about the circumstances and atmosphere surrounding the birth of this play. It will also include information about other performances, which will serve as references for comparison in terms of character development. Included in the scored actor’s script are the Sanford Meisner Techniques of moment-to-moment analysis and actioning as it relates to Konstantin Stanislavski’s system, as well as any additional actor’s notes that may have contributed to character development.

Molière’s The Misanthrope explores themes of hypocrisy, love, and the elusive nature of the truth. The play centers on the effects of unapologetic honesty in a society overflowing with pretense. Célimène serves as the supreme example of this society, but is more complicated than the shallow follies she represents. She walks the tight rope between truth and survival and must keep the balance without leaning too heavily one way or the other – lest she fall. This thesis endeavors to articulate the creation of a multi-dimensional character that connects with today’s audience and facilitates an understanding of the intentions and motivations behind her actions as well as the effects of this particular society on its members. This endeavor includes biographical information on Molière, a breakdown of the author’s approach, influences for this process, an analysis of Célimène, rehearsal manuscripts, and an analytical reflection of the resulting attempt to walk the line.

Deparar com um sujeito que se corta pode ser, para quem inicia o percurso clínico, muito mobilizador. Uma convocação ao olhar acontece de maneira extremamente pungente. A pergunta que orienta esta pesquisa é: de que de modo o dispositivo analítico pode operar nessa tríade: olhar/palavra/elaboração? Para buscar responder, o recorte deste trabalho se estabeleceu a partir do material clínico de que dispúnhamos. Mais precisamente, abordamos o ato de cortar-se na sua apresentação em sujeitos neuróticos, mas outras investigações se fazem necessárias, por exemplo, quanto ao ato de cortar-se na psicose e na perversão. Até o presente momento, existe parca bibliografia específica sobre o ato de cortar-se em Psicanálise. Sendo assim, fizemos um breve apanhado sobre o tema na Psiquiatria, na Antropologia e na Sociologia. Também apresentamos o ato de cortar-se no seu contexto midiático, uma vez que a internet e as redes sociais são um dos meios pelos quais as pessoas que se cortam publicizam anonimamente seu sofrimento psíquico. Lançando mão da teoria freudiana, mostramos a importância de cunhar o termo ato de cortar-se do ponto de vista metapsicológico. E, depois, apresentamos dois casos clínicos, onde os conceitos de: angústia, acting-out e passagem ao ato, vistos por Freud e Lacan, se fizeram fundamentais para conduzir as análises dos casos. Com isso, esperamos contribuir para a ampliação de um campo de estudo sobre o tema / For those who are just starting clinical practice, coming across a subject who self-cuts can be very disturbing. The gaze is summoned very poignantly. The question that guides this research is: in what way can the analytical device operate in the gaze/ speech/ psychic elaboration triad? To answer this, the focus of this work is based on the clinical material at our disposal. More precisely, we approached the act of self-cutting as it presents itself in neurotic subjects. As this act also appears in psychosis and perversion, further investigations are necessary. In Psychoanalysis, there is scant literature on this specific act to date, so we did a brief survey on the topic in Psychiatry, Anthropology, and Sociology. We also present the act of self-cutting in the context of media, as self-cutters use the internet and social networks as a means to anonymously bring to public notice their psychological distress. Using Freudian theory, we show the importance of coining the term \"act of self-cutting\" from a metapsychological point of view. Afterwards, we present two clinical cases where the concepts of anguish, acting-out and passage to the act, as seen by Freud and Lacan, became fundamental in conducting the analyzes of these clinical cases. With this, we hope to contribute to the expansion of the field of study on the subject

The areas of study in the Proof thesis contain research on the play, the playwright, and the acting style utilized in the performance and character analysis. The acting style in this process focuses on the actor’s creative work in preparation of portraying a female character. This character is a controlling woman that is unable to manipulate others. By using relaxation techniques involving the Alexander Technique, the actor was able to transition into the character with honest emotions and motives. Finding similarities to the character by using personal relationships gave the actor the ability to discover connections with the character in portrayal. These connections are used to motivate the actor’s process in creating an authentic character. The results are found through the actor’s reflections and performances. The findings show discipline and routine in the actor’s process to portray the character.

Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur poliser inom den ingripande verksamheten hanterar de emotioner som uppstår i arbetet. Vidare avser studien även att undersöka vilken påverkan de emotionella aspekterna av arbetet får för poliserna.  Detta görs med hjälp av en kvalitativ metod i form av sex semistrukturerade intervjuer med poliser inom ett polisdistrikt. Studiens teoretiska ramverk består av begrepp inom emotionssociologin och socialpsykologin. Följande frågeställningar behandlas: Hur hanterar poliserna de känslor som uppstår i arbetet och hur kan detta karaktäriseras? Hur påverkar de emotionella aspekterna av arbetet poliserna, har det konsekvenser?   Sammantaget visar resultatet att poliserna följer informella känsloregler som finns inom yrkesrollen och att dessa regler skiljer sig beroende på den situation poliserna befinner sig i. De hanterar även känslor i arbetet på ett sätt som kan beskrivas med Hochschilds begrepp surface acting och deep acting. Vidare använder poliserna sig av humor som ett sätt att distansera sig från de emotionella aspekterna i arbetet och påverka andra personers sinnesstämning. Socialt stöd och mental förberedelse visade sig också vara ett sätt att handskas med känslorna varav socialt stöd beskrivs som mest betydelsefullt. Generellt kan det även sägas att poliserna oftast inte upplever att arbetet påverkar dem i särskild stor utsträckning. Däremot visar denna studie att upplevda och möjliga konsekvenser av arbetet är emotionell dissonans och avtrubbning. Nyckelord: Polis, ingripande verksamhet, känslohantering, emotional labor, känsloregler, surface acting, deep acting, emotionell dissonans och avtrubbning