Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: During the nineteenth century, Charles Darwin published The Origin of Species, inciting debate surrounding the validity of the Christian creation narrative. Prior to this, the Adam and Eve creation narrative was the central narrative around which Christian families modelled their own family structures – with the father as the head of the household. In this thesis I discuss the effect that Darwin’s publication had on the restructuring of families in the nineteenth century. I do this through analysis of Henrik Ibsen’s Ghosts and August Strindberg’s Easter, two domestic dramas that chronicle the effect of a society redesigning their religious philosophies owning to the toppling of the patriarchal structures of authority. I argue that Ibsen and Strindberg stand in polar relation to one another in terms of the debate surrounding the religiosity of the family and the position of the (F)ather within this framework (borrowing from Ross Shideler’s term conflating the notion of the divine Father and the earthly father). Relating the debate to the contemporary Afrikaner culture, the research aims to create a family drama (...van ons vaders) that addresses the decline of Afrikaner Calvinistic religious constructs in a similar manner to that of Ibsen and Strindberg, but in through a contemporary aesthetic approach. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Gedurende die negentiende eeu is debat ontlok rondom die geldigheid van die Christelike skeppingsverhaal wanweë die publikasie van Charles Darwin se The Origin of Species. Voor dit, is die Adam-en-Eva verhaal die sentrale narratief waarvolgens Christelike families hulself gestruktureer het – met die vader as die hoof van die huishouding. In hierdie tesis bespreek ek die effek wat Darwin se publikasie gehad het op die herstrukturering van families gedurende die negentiende eeu. Ek doen dit aan die hand van Henrik Ibsen se Ghosts en August Strindberg se Easter – twee familiedramas wat sentraal in die debat staan rondom die herontwerp van geloofsfilosifieë en omvorming van patriargale gesagstrukture. Ek argumenteer dat Ibsen en Strindberg in polêre verhouding met mekaar staan in terme van die debat rondom die godsdienstigheid van die familie en die posisie van die (V)ader binne hierdie raamwerk. Hier leen ek Ross Shideler se term wat die idee van die goddelike Vader en die aardse vader saamsmelt. Dit word later in verband gebring met die kontemporêre Afrikaner kultuur om ten einde ‘n nuwe familiedrama (…van ons vaders) te skep, wat fokus op die hedendaagse hervorming van Afrikaner Calvinistiese geloofstrukture, in ‘n wyse soortgelyk aan dié van Ibsen en Strindberg, maar deur om gebruik te maak van ‘n kontemporêre estetiese benadering.

Les séries télévisées dramatiques américaines contemporaines (1990-2005) ont développé un mode de communication spécifique avec les téléspectateurs, fondé sur la construction d’une connivence entre le public et le programme, que nous étudierons en utilisant les principes de la rhétorique épidictique. Deux axes sont particulièrement importants et font l’objet d’une attention particulière : les seuils (titres, génériques, épigraphes, etc.) et les phénomènes d’intertextualité et de transtextualité.Les premiers sont devenus des lieux de jeu entre les producteurs du discours (chaînes, créateurs, producteurs exécutifs, scénaristes) et le public : oscillant entre normes industrielles et dynamisme créatif personnel, ils accompagnent les téléspectateurs dans leur entrée et leur sortie de la série et manifestent de forts enjeux marketing.Les phénomènes d’intertextualité et de transtextualité sont d’abord le spin off et le crossover, mais aussi tout le continuum des procédés de citation et de référence qui aboutissent à la constitution d’un texte-centon. Ils finissent par faire de la série télévisée un palimpseste, dans lequel chaque texte est l’écho de mille autres textes, d’événements de notre contemporanéité et nous rappelle les situations de notre vie.La série télévisée devient ainsi un rituel, non seulement de consommation (regarder son épisode chaque semaine), mais aussi au sens que la rhétorique épidictique donne à ce mot : elle permet de créer une communauté réunie autour de valeurs partagées. / Contemporary US TV dramas (from 1990 to 2005) have developed a specific communication process with their viewers, based on a strong proximity established between the audience and the program. In studying this issue we will apply the principles of the epideictic rhetoric. Two aspects are especially relevant and will thus receive particular attention: first the thresholds à la Genette (titles, opening credits, taglines, etc.), then the phenomena of intertextuality and transtextuality.Thresholds have become the loci of a game between the discourse producers (networks, creators, executive producers, writers) and the audience: navigating between industrial conventions and personal creative dynamism, they go alongside the TV viewer in its entrance and its exit of the series and embody significant marketing issues.The phenomena of intertextuality and transtextuality, on the other hand, are particularly apparent in both the spinoff and the crossover, as well as in a continuum of processes ranging from quotes to references. Altogether they lead to the constitution of a text-cento. Ultimately, they transform TV shows into a palimpsest, in which each text echoes thousands of other texts, key events of our contemporaneousness as well as reminders of the audience’s own life.In summary, TV shows have become a ritual in their own right, not only of consumption (watching an episode a week), but also in the sense that epideictic rhetoric gives to the concept: they create a community united around shared values.

The thesis gives a comprehensive picture of Werner Schwab, Austrian playwright and performer. He ranked among the most performed German-speaking authors at the time of his death in 1994. The main objective of this work, whose basis lies in Schwab's dramatic production, is to provide a comprehensive monographic study. The thesis deals not only with the dramas, but also with their relationship to the theatrical production of Thomas Bernhard and Elfriede Jelinek. The chapter on the author's personal life is followed by chapters "Postdramatic Theatre", "Theatre of Cruelty", and "Folk Play", where you can find the answer to the question of the place of Schwab's drama in the overall concept of literature at the end of the 20th century. Particular attention is paid to the unique language usage he developed, called "Schwabisch" after the author.

The thesis will focus on problems of the reception of dramatic opus of Bulgarian prosaist, dramatist and scenarist Yordan Radichkov (1929 - 2004) in the Czech and Slovak area from 1976 (premiere of first drama - January) until nowadays. The thesis will try to discover elements of magic realism, anecdote, comedy and satire which creatively follow fabulative elements and style of folktales in dramas of one of the most famous and world popular Bulgarian author of the 20th century. The thesis will be based mainly on the confrontation of the reception of agreement and difference in the plays staged in two comparison areas - Czech and Slovak. Part of the thesis will be detailed bibliography witch will capture production in Czech and Slovak theatres and their responses in press.

The turn of the 18th and 19th centuries is well known for the Age of Enlightenment and for the formation of nations which began to realize the need for their own identity. One of those nations were Slovaks and their national revival will be introduced in the first chapter of this thesis. In the second and third chapter we will analyze the works of two authors, Ján Chalupka and Ján Palárik, in the historical and social conditions that years. In the last chapter we will summarize our analysis of dramas and we will try to explain how that time influenced life and society.

Drama is not a subject in the Swedish compulsory school. Still, drama pedagogues works in schools with scheduled drama lessons, although without any curriculum. This phenomenological study aims to examine the function of drama in the Swedish compulsory school through thoughts and reflections from drama pedagogues working in this context. The empirical data is collected through a described combination of individual writing and group conversations. The result shows that the application of drama in compulsory school can be divided into four different categories, namely Social training; Complementary subject teaching; Directed efforts and Own creation. The result is seen through a phenomenological perspective and Carlgren’s (2015) theory about practical knowledge traditions and subject development. The analysis shows that there is a crossover between the categories and furthermore, that they enable each other. The result confirms previous research which states that in compulsory school drama is mainly used for its instrumental values which also is what becomes available in drama practice. The analysis suggests that the categories Complementary subject teaching and Social training can be understood on the basis that drama has been attributed to theoretical subject knowledge from the school's other subjects and the value-based assignment in the curriculum. Finally, a question is raised regarding what kind of school subject drama could be and what is desirable.

Each panelist has chosen an artifact (or type, genre, etc.) from the recent past and interrogated its role as an influence on contemporary popular culture, working to show the linkage between then and now. This type of work is underappreciated and we would like to attempt to show how informing ourselves on popular culture past can make us better critics in the present. Our hope is to inspire others to take up that cause as well. In that spirit, we would like to encourage people to come prepared to discuss ideas and share their own work in a workshop type environment.

The thesis examines American teen dramas on Australian television in the period 1992 to 2004. It explores the use of the genre by broadcasters and its uptake by teenagers in an environment where American popular culture has frequently been treated with suspicion and where there are perennial arguments about the Americanisation of youth and their vulnerability to cultural imperialism. The thesis argues concerns about Americanisation and cultural imperialism in relation to youth culture, young people and the media are misplaced. American teen dramas are investigated as an example of the ways imported programs are made to cohere with national logics within the Australian mediasphere (Hartley, 1996). Utilising Yuri Lotman's (1990) theory of cultural 'translation' this thesis argues teen drams are evidence of dynamic change within the system of television and that this change does not result in a system dominated by imported product, but rather a system that situates foreign programming amongst domestic frames of reference.

[pt] Esta dissertação tem como objetivo refletir sobre a construção e o desenvolvimento dos relacionamentos afetivos heterossexuais entre os jovens, tendo como base ilustrativa a série da Netflix Areia Movediça. A partir da representação do relacionamento amoroso entre os personagens principais da série, Maja e Sebastian, foi proposto um debate sobre as transformações sofridas pelo amor romântico na contemporaneidade, a forma como as juventudes lidam com essa área da vida e, por fim, como a interlocução desses dois aspectos pode resultar em uma relação abusiva. Para isso, a pesquisa é dividida em três partes. Na primeira, discutem-se as juventudes e a importância da prática de se assistir a séries na perspectiva dos jovens. Na segunda, há uma breve introdução a Areia Movediça, com o objetivo de contextualizar o leitor. Por meio da análise das cenas, são debatidas temáticas intrínsecas ao universo juvenil consideradas tabus, até se chegar ao tema dos relacionamentos amorosos. Na terceira parte, discutem-se a desigualdade entre gêneros e como ela atua na construção dos relacionamentos abusivos, a partir da história sobre o amor vivido pelos protagonistas de Areia Movediça. / [en] This thesis aims to reflect upon the construction and development of teen romantic heterosexual relationships having the Netflix s Quicksand series as background for the analysis. Maja and Sebastian s relationship helps shed light into the transformations romantic relationships have underwent in modern times, and on how teenagers deal with this aspect of their lives. Quicksand shows us that the combination of romance and teenagers may eventually trigger abusive relationships. In order to elaborate on those topics, the research has been divided into three different parts. The first part debates youth and the relevance of watching television series for teens. The second part is a short introduction on Quicksand. Scene analysis reinforces themes intrinsic to the teen universe that are still considered taboo. The third part reflects on gender inequality and its role in the construction of abusive relationships as depicted in the Quicksand protagonists love story.

Thesis (MA (African Languages))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this study is to explore conflict in the two dramas under study. Conflict is one of the cornerstones of drama and it is the most significant element of plot. An investigation is done of the two dramas under study: Inene nasi isibhozo by Mthingane (1965) and Buzani Kubawo by Tamsanqa (1958). Both dramas depict Xhosa cultural properties, and its impact on character portrayal in the dramas. The study has the following organization: Chapter 1: Purpose and aims of the study. Chapter 2: Review of literature on conflict. Chapter 3: Deals with the development of plot within episodes. A critical evaluation of the dramas is undertaken. Chapter 4: Presents culture and conflict in the dramas and an investigation of the portrayal of these aspects is undertaken. Chapter 5: Summary of the findings of the study.