The aim of this study is to investigate theatre plays for children staged by the State Theatres and private theatre companies in one specific theatre season in Bursa in terms of their essential language, physical, educational, entertainment and social characteristics. More specifically, the present study examines appropriateness of theatre plays for children in term of these essential characteristics stated by the experts and also opinions of audiences, parents, teachers, and professionals gained by interviews. Twelve preschool children between the ages of 5 and 6, ten parents who had 5 or 6-year-old children, and two preschool drama teachers were asked about their opinions after attending one or more of the theatre plays which were chosen for the study. The theatre plays which were chosen for the study were also scored according to the five different essential characteristics by two coders by using the &ldquo / theatre for young audiences evaluation rubric&rdquo / which was developed by the researcher based on the literature. The study presented the composition of the information gained from the interviews and the characteristics scores of each theatre play. The results revealed that As an outcome, this study documented general information about the existing, required and desired characteristics of theatre plays for children / specific information about the current status of theatre plays for children in Bursa / and also implications and suggestions for parents, educators, playwrights, theatre directors and further studies.

As Theatre for the Very Young (TVY) has only begun to be produced in the United States within the past 10 years, little is written about how the work is being developed and produced. This thesis serves to acknowledge the impact international TVY practice has on US work while simultaneously providing insight into development processes. This document questions: What goals, considerations and limitations exist when developing TVY? Who is currently creating TVY? How does the context for the creation of a piece influence the development process and the product? Within this thesis I examine the processes of current TVY practitioners and identity three different organizational structures where TVY is currently being created. I also cite examples from TVY development processes I have engaged in within each organizational structure. Finally, I name how engaging with and in TVY has impacted my evolution as a TVY practitioner. / text

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a Theatre For Young Audiences (TYA) paper and multimedia study guide and to investigate teachers' perceptions of study guides created for TYA. It used current literature surrounding TYA performances, supplemental materials for the elementary classroom, and multimedia in performance and education, to glean critical elements for creating a useful TYA study guide. These elements provided the framework for creating a rubric to evaluate a TYA study guide's potential success in the classroom. The mixed methods study then used the created rubric to evaluate etc . . .'s (Educational Theatre Company) 2005 Hey Diddle Diddle! The Rhymes and Rhythms of Mother Goose study guide. This data was combined with surveys administered to elementary teachers. The study guide rated high on the rubric and teachers' perceptions were generally positive. Overall the analysis yielded information useful for the creation of future guides and research.

Le cinéma est, depuis sa création, au centre des débats qui animent les sociétés. Il attise la curiosité et l’intérêt d’une multitude d’individus : des publics, des critiques, des acteurs économiques, des professionnels, des chercheurs… Ces derniers s’intéressent aux publics, à leurs pratiques, et y consacrent de nombreux travaux. Pourtant, malgré le volume foisonnant de publications, une question reste entière : comment les publics choisissent-ils leur film au cinéma ? L’approche des publics reste parcellaire et le choix du film reste inexploré, alors qu’il préoccupe un ensemble d’acteurs, qui multiplient les initiatives pour intervenir dans ce choix, l’équiper ou l’orienter. La présente recherche entend remédier à ce paradoxe, en cherchant à mettre au jour les logiques sous-jacentes du processus de choix du film mené par les jeunes publics au cinéma. Ancrée dans une démarche exploratoire et compréhensive, elle envisage ce choix dans une perspective communicationnelle, qui prend en compte sa complexité et l’étudie de manière globale et transversale. Nous appréhendons le choix en train de se faire, au cinéma ; cette perspective permet de porter un regard distancié sur les théories dominantes mobilisées sur le cinéma et sur la décision, notamment en Sciences de l'Information et de la Communication. Elle nous permet de comprendre combien le choix du film des publics est une action située, qui dépend du contexte et des circonstances du moment. En outre, en articulant le théorique et l’empirique, et en donnant la part belle à une triangulation de données, notre démarche délivre des clefs pour comprendre les processus de choix en particulier, et les processus décisionnels en général. / Since its creation, cinema is at the heart of discussions within societies. It arouses curiosity and attracts interest from many: publics, critics, professionals, main economic actors, researchers… While these latter have contributed to a huge amount of works based on cinema’s audiences and practices, only one question remains: How cinema audiences make their film selection? Although many actors and initiatives are developed to help, support, advice and orient the audiences, the approach and the decision-making process of a movie remain misunderstood and unexplored. This research aims to remedy to this contradiction, by highlighting the underlying motivations present in the decision-making process of the young cinema audience. Anchored in a both exploratory and comprehensive process-based approach, this research conceives this process in a communicational perspective by taking in account its complexity, and by analyzing it globally and transversally. We study the “on-going decision-making process” – the decision “as practice” - made inside the cinema. This perspective allows having a look distant from the dominants theories. Furthermore, by articulating theoretical and empirical points of view, and by giving special attention to the triangulation of data, our approach delivers keys to rightfully understand the decision-making process in general and in particular.

Since its beginning in 1968, the Roberta Jones Junior Theatre, a children's theatre, connected to the Parks and Recreation Department of Santa Clara, California, has been creating child-centered performances for young audiences. This thesis will explore the history of the Santa Clara/Roberta Jones Junior Theatre and discuss the components that have contributed to its forty-year success. For a children's theatre to be successful it needs to be first centered on the learning of the children, in tune with the need of its community, and have a staff focused on the same goals. By examining the Roberta Jones Junior Theatre, the intension is to give a picture of its organizational structure, an analysis of its guiding principles, and how the author proposes to use it as a model for a children's theatre in the future.

Creativity is valued in many fields. In theatre, creativity celebrates the imaginative power of a theatrical experience. In theatre for young audiences (TYA), creativity is extended from the stage to the classroom, where theatre empowers learning through creative and imaginative teaching. Teaching artists and theatre makers in the field of theatre for young audiences utilize creativity as a means of connecting artistic and educational value. Through professional development and qualitative research, this project demonstrates the importance of creativity and its role in the classroom and on stage. This study examines my role as Project Coordinator in Orlando Repertory Theatre's (The REP) Writes of Spring 2014 and the developments I add to enhance the educational and artistic value and project. Specifically, I survey the findings of selected students' submissions in a creative writing contest by developing and facilitating an arts integration professional development workshop for their teachers. By evaluating these findings I gain insight into the positive effect of enhancing creativity in public school classrooms. To project the value of creativity further, I apply a theoretical framework to my research. Specifically, I apply creative pedagogy, constructivism, and collective creativity to develop a fully-supported educational and artistic project. This project allows students to find writing inspiration through theatre, guides teachers to find clarity in new practices through creativity, and encourages artists to celebrate creativity in developing and producing new works.

This thesis seeks to unearth the concept of breaking tradition in the field of Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) in the United States by applying the avant-garde theory of Arnold Aronson as a lens through which to investigate the current development of US TYA. After formulating an approach in which to negotiate the concept of the avant-garde, I draft five tenets that currently define tradition in the field of US TYA. Situating these five tenets against Aronson's theoretical framework, I examine three contemporary US TYA plays from the past two centuries: Black Butterfly, Hush: An Interview with America, and Atypical Boy. Within these scripts, I probe for moments where these five tenets break to manifest possible tendencies toward the avant-garde. I then conclusively reflect and problematize these findings in order to raise questions about each script's relationship to the avant-garde and significance to the development of the field, ultimately provoking further discourse surrounding the role of avant-garde methodology within US TYA's current position and state of progression.

As a theatre for young audiences' (TYA) teacher, artist, and administrator, I seek to explore where and how TYA fits into business and economic models to open a dialogue between TYA practitioners and business administration professionals. Through this qualitative study, I endeavor to foster a new language for TYA practitioners to enhance fundraising and audience development. By its own definition, TYA is a hybrid field that strives for both artistic form and educative function. With a dual focus of form and function, administrators struggle to advocate for TYA organizations within existing models. To move through this challenge, I look to analyze select extant models in an effort to address a new hybrid model that better suits a hybrid field. This project arises from the persistent challenges found within the TYA field of defining and valuing our work for and with young people, so I approach this research as a TYA practitioner seeking tools for advocacy. Through my work as a teacher and artist moving into a business office, I observed marketing and development directors from the non-TYA fields challenged by the nature of our work. Paralleling that challenge, I struggle to articulate the necessity of my work with young people as equal to the importance of artistic excellence. My research leads me to believe that TYA does not neatly affix to any business model, but an analysis and marriage of several models may create a working model which TYA practitioners can employ.

An actor seeking to improve his craft can find numerous sources containing countless tips and techniques on the art of acting. However, the majority of these books target the adult actor often leaving young performers struggling to understand complex acting theory. With the goals of creating a nurturing learning environment and quality performance work within a compact rehearsal schedule, this thesis project created and evaluated a new synthesis of modern acting theory for directors to use when working with young performers. This technique adapted and coalesced several perspectives on foundational acting theory-specifically looking at the use of a character's wants and actions as described by Bruder et al., Caldarone & Lloyd-Williams, Cohen, Jory, Mamet, and Stanislavski. I tested the developed technique using an independent production of The Cat Who Ran by Naoko Kudo performed by a group of seventh through tenth grade actors. This thesis shares the process of creating this rehearsal tool with its readers. This process included researching and synthesizing the technique, documenting my process as director and acting coach for The Cat Who Ran, testing the technique throughout the production of The Cat Who Ran, evaluating the effectiveness of the technique through qualitative observation from production team and audience members, and theorizing the potential effectiveness for other scripts. The documentation of the project includes surveys, worksheets, text analysis, and production photos.

When working with a new group of people, it is common practice to create a Community Agreement in pursuit of quality outcomes. This tool uses dialogue to methodically outline the desired educational or creative environment, democratically articulating the commitments and expectations to remain in place throughout the duration of the group's existence and setting all participants in accord with the work to come. However, the Community Agreement can fail to support individual participants during moments of inevitable tension. In such moments, participants may experience unplanned emotional or physical reactions in response to triggering material or ideas. To navigate these reactions and ensure the Community Agreement is sustained throughout the entire process, it is necessary to introduce specific operational tools. One solution lies in Liz Lerman's Critical Response Process (CRP) and Theatrical Intimacy's boundary-establishing practice of "Button," which are tools commonly found within the theatrical setting that strategically work to guide participants through moments of heightened tension so they can return their focus to the overall objective. This thesis begins by demonstrating an instance where the Community Agreement fails to support participants when uncontrollable discourse arises in the graduate classroom. I present the addition of CRP and "Button" as appropriate and effective solutions to remedy this observed weakness and test them in the undergraduate classroom. Turning focus to my field of study, the last part of this thesis contextualizes these dialogical tools in the Theatre for Young Audiences field, offering suggestions regarding the application of these tools with Elementary, Middle, and High School students.