Throughout the twentieth century, theatre for young audiences (TYA), or children's theatre, has been situated as something "other" or different than adult theatre, a kind of theatre--but not really theatre, a construct which opened the door to numerous "how to" philosophies geared specifically toward the theatre for young audiences practitioner. As a twenty-first century theatre practitioner, I am interested in how these philosophies are situated within or against current professional practices in the TYA field. This interest led me to the main question of this study: What are the predominant twentieth-century philosophies on acting, directing, and dramatic literature in the TYA field; and how do they compare to what is currently practiced on the professional American TYA stage? In order to explore current practice, I focused on three theatres, two of which are nationally recognized for their "quality" TYA work, the Seattle Children's Theatre and the Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis. The third company, the Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival, is one of the largest Shakespearean festivals in the country, and has a growing theatre for young audiences program. Between June and October of 2006, I conducted numerous interviews with professional managers, directors, and actors from these organizations. I also attended productions of Pippi Longstocking (Children's Theatre Company), Honus and Me (Seattle Children's Theatre), and Peter Rabbit (Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival). It was through these interviews and observations of these productions that I was able to gain data--methodology, techniques, and philosophy--on twenty-first century TYA acting, directing, and dramatic literature. My study has uncovered that although there are numerous twentieth-century "how to" philosophies, many current TYA practitioners are unfamiliar with them. Most of the twenty-first century TYA practice that I studied follows the trends of the adult theatre. This thesis serves as the culmination of my Master of Fine Arts in theatre for young audiences at the University of Central Florida. However, it is not a culmination of my study on the theatre for young audiences field. Past philosophies paired with current methodology, while providing models of quality, also open the door to numerous ideas for further study. This thesis challenges me in examining my own notions of quality acting, directing, and dramatic literature in the TYA field; and it is my hope that this challenge makes me a more informed, deliberate, and responsible theatre practitioner.

This thesis investigates the dramaturgy of devised theatre for young audiences, specifically children ages 2-5. The chapters dissect current applications of dramaturgy in regards to the development of dramatic and performance texts, and present an exploration of devised theatre. My research revolved around qualitative research tactics through a review of the current literature on dramaturgy and devising, unobtrusive data collection, and interviews with the artistic directors of three Theatre for Young Audience (TYA) companies: Patch Theatre Company based in Adelaide, Australia, Theatre Mala Scena based in Zagreb, Croatia, and the Coterie Theatre located in Kansas City, Missouri. In addition, I viewed productions by each the above companies which helped to uncover how the artists move theory into practice based on their personal theories on TYA, dramaturgy, and devising. Through this research I reveal how dramaturgy proves a key element in moving improvisations into performance texts, creating theatrical experiences that capture the imaginations of the very young.

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

As a theatre for young audiences (TYA) practitioner and artist, I have noticed the prevalence of edited fairy tales on TYA stages. Artists tend to present versions of traditional tales that do not explore the dark places found in the original forms, the very same parts of humanity that young people often yearn to understand. Within TYA, fairy tales have become a safe option because many are well-known titles that generate audiences and income. Theatre practitioners and producers frequently present selections from the canon of fairy tales without exploring its many layers of meaning; failing to recognize the message that is being communicated to the audience. This thesis will explore how and why theatres continue to present these tales to contemporary young audiences. How do TYA companies create productions of fairy tales that capture the attention of a contemporary audience and still remain true to the traditional psychological framework? The staying power of fairy tales points toward a common human connection. Parents pass the stories down to their children, generation after generation. There must be a reason for this and I would like to examine it. Research on the long-term effects fairy tales have on young people focuses on the psychological values and ramifications of exposure to these classic stories. This thesis will explore the use of fairy tale structures in theatre for young audiences and where this author feels we can produce fairy tale shows in a manner that considers the developing psyche. I will consider the underlying significations in fairy tales and how theatre artists can provide young people a means to explore and understand these meanings, while avoiding metanarratives that reinforce submission and oppression. Guided by an understanding of research in psychology, productions already performed, and the definition of a contemporary young audience, I will look beyond the simple tale and find ways to create fairy tales onstage responsibly. I will analyze the works of Bruno Bettelheim, Jack Zipes, and Maria Tatar, compare and contrast their differing views on the place of fairy tales in a young person's psychological life, and define what a child gains from hearing these stories. Finally, I will interview three directors from around the world about their approach to directing fairy tales, then synthesize the information to create a view of how some companies currently present fully-actualized fairy tales. The prevailing presentation of fairy tales follows an edited and lighthearted way of looking at these classic tales. However, a growing movement exists to re-imagine our view of fairy tales. The work of three of these innovative directors--Kevin Ehrhart, Dougie Irvine and Andy Packer--inspired this thesis with their fearless approaches to teaching young people through the lessons created in fairy tales.

Guiding Question: What characteristics contribute to a successful commission of a new play for young audiences? Defining various types of commissions taking place in the field of theatre can help to set a precedent for defining commissioning processes and goals within the field of theatre for young audiences. Each field has their own specific needs, and I am interested in how the details of various commissioning processes can help to articulate some of the vital aspects of this work. This thesis looks at the broad process of commissioning a new play for young audiences through the study of one specific commission process. While the word 'successful' remains relative and depends greatly on who and what is defining any given notion of success, for this study, I define a successful production and script as one that pushes the field forward in at least one way, invokes strong audience responses, and involves artists who care about the integrity and value of theatre for young audiences. This study analyzes the commissioning process for Turning Ten by The Potomac Playhouse in the Theatre for Young Audiences program, through detailed interviews, journal observations reports, and research on theatrical commissioning. As I closely observed this commissioning process, I explored the following questions: how does Turning Ten fit into a 'type of commission' as referenced earlier in the thesis, how does Turning Ten fit my preconceived notion of a 'successful' commission?; how do the responses of the audience and production team members contribute to a successful commission? Throughout my research, my ideas of commissioning were broadened by the eagerness of the artists involved to bring what they believed to be a valid story to the stage and make it as unique and influential as possible. Turning Ten involves bringing a specific community and culture to life on stage and the team involved in making this happen proved that commissioning a script can be a valuable and worthwhile task in order to put something you feel passionate about in front of a live audience. I realized that the success of a particular project deals first with the script and the writing that is put on the table; then, the commission involves the ability of the creative team to shift and change with various timeframes and the willingness to work with the different personalities involved. All of these factors proved successful with this particular commission and a strong way to approach my research about this topic.

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In youth theatre spaces, it is up to the facilitators to discover and create new ways to include more students, especially those who previously didn't have a seat at the table. Making rehearsal spaces inclusive and accessible to all starts by establishing inclusion as an innate practice integrated into every step of the process. This thesis focuses on creating inclusive and accessible rehearsal spaces outside of the traditional classroom for young people ages 8-22, specifically in community theatre and collegiate spaces. The director's role is explored in two projects: Home of the Brave, a Theatre for Young Audiences production performed by college students, and Alice in Wonderland, a youth community theatre production. In examining each project, I apply disability, educational, and inclusion theories to my work. Through the process of examining theory and my own practice in theatrical spaces, I advocate for embedding inclusive practices from the start of a rehearsal process and articulate effective strategies for creating inclusive and accessible rehearsal rooms.

Zhang Yong. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 121-130). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / Acknowledgements --- p.iii / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction: The Problem of Ideational Change --- p.1 / The Articulation of Ideas and Practices --- p.2 / Thesis Organization --- p.9 / Methodology --- p.10 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Audience and Masses: Articulating with Different Media Institutions and Practices --- p.13 / Social Construction of Audience --- p.14 / The Reification of Masses and the Birth of Media Ideology --- p.22 / The Institutionalization of Masses --- p.30 / Legitimacy Crisis --- p.40 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- "The Introduction of ""Audience"": Localization and Transformation.……" --- p.42 / Localization --- p.43 / Transformation --- p.57 / Hybridization: Mixing of Masses and Audience --- p.65 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Audience Survey: The Legitimation of Audience --- p.69 / Capitalist Democracy: Three Types of Surveys in the US --- p.71 / Rescuing the Political Authority: Three Types of Surveys in China --- p.76 / Appropriation --- p.80 / Incorporation --- p.88 / Institutionalization --- p.98 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Conclusion and Discussion --- p.109 / Appendix --- p.117 / References --- p.121

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 294-302).