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.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ucf.edu/oai:stars.library.ucf.edu:etd-5148 |
| Date | 01 January 2009 |
| Creators | Hoppe, Meredith |
| Publisher | STARS |
| Source Sets | University of Central Florida |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Electronic Theses and Dissertations |
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