Browsing by Subject "Drama"

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The 5th wall project : projection design applications for transforming education and medical spaces for youth communities
(2015-05) Lord, Patrick William; Ortel, Sven; Alrutz, Megan
This paper and project explore how creative applications of existing design and technology can provide a unique service for children anywhere. This project fuses that technology with a belief that youth communities in education and medical spaces deserve access to artistic experiences. By devising original, immersive story performances with two classes from local Austin schools, The 5th Wall Project has begun to develop a process that facilitates educational engagement, and exposes students to design and art where they live and learn. The intention of this project is to continue beyond the performances and residencies completed and documented in this paper. Future applications, such as the installation of this model into pediatric patient rooms is a primary goal of the project that has yet to be explored, but is an integral motivator in the aforementioned investigation of our process.
al-Sammān wa-al-kharīf
(al-Qāhirah : Aflām Jamāl al-Laythī,, 1967) Muṣṭafá, Ḥusām al-Dīn; Rustum, Fikrī; Ṣāliḥ, Aḥmad ʻAbbas; Luṭfī, Nādiyah; Adham, Ādil; Maḥfūẓ, Najīb
al-Usṭá Ḥasan
([al-Zamālik [Cairo] : Markaz al-Sharq al-Awsaṭ lil-Taswīq,, 1980) Sulṭān, Hudá; Abū Sayf, Ṣalāḥ
Ḥasan was a poor young man. He was married and had a son. One day a rich woman became attracted to him. She persuaded him to leave his family and live with her. After a while she got bored of him and started to look for another boyfriend. The woman was found dead, and the police arrested Ḥasan.
Arrested professional development : some workplace taboobs
(2006-05) Howe, Kelly Britt; Dolan, Jill, 1957-
This document includes the performance report and script for Arrested Professional Development: Some Workplace Taboobs, a semi-autobiographical play conceived, written, and directed by Kelly Howe in collaboration with many colleagues at the University of Texas at Austin (UT) and staged in the campus's Winship Drama Building on March 3 and 4, 2006. The performance's dramaturgical process - in many ways a textual analysis of the author's personal experiences relative to the policing of women's bodies at work - engaged feminist theory, Augusto Boal's Image Theatre dramaturgy, reception theory, Foucauldian analysis, sociological theory, critical performative pedagogy, and queer theory. The play and its report stage a variety of intertwining inquiries all connected to one core question: What might be at stake, and for whom, in constructing what constitutes appropriate dress for women professionals, both in academia specifically, and in more generalized public spheres?
Bridging theatre and visual art : the role of an applied theatre practitioner in a fine art museum
(2011-05) Genshaft, Lindsay Michelle; Alrutz, Megan; Dawson, Kathryn; Garner, Jennifer
This thesis document details the theoretical and practical implications of using theatrical techniques and drama-based instruction in the visual art museum setting. Presented are four diverse museum theatre programs created and implemented at The Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas at Austin. These programs support the argument that drama-based instruction and theatrical techniques can help deepen and/or complicate the notion of visitor engagement in a visual art museum. The theoretical underpinnings of museum theatre are investigated by examining elements of applied theatre and museum learning and the progressive education theory which shapes their practice. The belief is put forth that creative participation in museum education is essential for personal and critical connection with visual art. Theatre is a dynamic and powerful tool to support this creative participation. Findings include recommendations for utilizing museum theatre programming implemented by an applied theatre practitioner as it promotes the use of critical thinking and problem-solving skills, engages the senses, and stimulates meaningful dialogue.
Cure
(2006-05) Thorne, Beau, 1978-; Lewis, Richard M., M.F.A.
This thesis consists of a feature-length screenplay, Cure, a process essay documenting the writing of Cure, and the short story “Mumbly Peg.”
The distance of intimacy : an exploration of love and loss in two plays
(2011-05) Kennedy, Meghan Elizabeth; Zeder, Suzan; Dietz, Steven; Lynn, Kirk
The following thesis is an exploration of the themes of love and loss, and an examination of the concept of distance as a form of intimacy in my plays, Yours and Too much, too much, too many.
Dreams & the aftermath: how television cured my fear of commitment
(2011-12) Burlison, Christina Kay; Kelban, Stuart; Lewis, Richard
“Dreams & the Aftermath: How Television Cured My Fear of Commitment” chronicles the creation and development of two one-hour drama pilots and their impact on its writer, Christina K. Burlison.
The evidence-based drama practitioner : the design and implementation of a drama program for very young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and their parents
(2012-05) Ulrich, Christina Ann; Lazarus, Joan; Dawson, Kathryn M.; Falcomata, Terry S.
This thesis explores the applications of a drama-based intervention program for very young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their parents. Drama-based pedagogy and practice is merged with behavioral principles from the world of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to create an interdisciplinary program tailored specifically for the unique learning needs of children with ASD. This document offers a comprehensive overview of the history of diagnosis and treatment of ASD and the many factors that can influence relationships between children with ASD and their parents. A drama-based intervention program was designed specifically to address the communication and social skill deficits in children with ASD. In addition, the drama-based intervention program encouraged parents to use responsive teaching strategies to enhance and extend creative play with their child. The document concludes with recommendations for essential components of a drama-based intervention program for very young children with ASD and their parents.
Examining meaning-making through story-based process drama in dual-language classrooms
(2016-08) Greeter, Erin; Roser, Nancy; Worthy, Mary Jo; Martínez, Ramón; Palmer, Deborah; Schallert, Diane
As classrooms across the U.S. become increasingly multilingual and multicultural, there is a need for research that provides insight into instruction that builds on students’ emergent bilingualism as they reason and respond to texts, while developing their knowledge and practices in Spanish and English. To better understand the semiotic resources emergent bilingual children used during elementary language arts instruction, I employed a collective case study design toward describing and interpreting how the children and the teachers worked together to enact their understandings of socially- conscious and language-diverse texts during story-based process drama opportunities. My study drew from the converging theoretical constructs of language theory (Bakhtin, 1981; García & Kleifen, 2010), social semiotics (Halliday, 1978; Hodge & Kress, 1988), problem-posing pedagogy (Freire, 1970; 2005), as well as narrative theory (Bruner, 1986, 1990, 1991) to contribute to the knowledge base of how students learning two languages draw upon their meaning-making resources (e.g., language, text, gesture, movement, facial expression) to represent and express their understandings of this literature. I focused my data collection on the decisions students made and enactment demonstrated when their teachers offered them opportunities to step into character’s role at a story’s turning point (i.e., when the course of action turned on the moral ethical decision of a central character). Data sources included: teacher interviews, fieldnotes, transcriptions, and photographic documentation. Using multimodal discourse methods, I analyzed the data from each classroom so as to document meaning construction through semiotic resource use. Findings indicated students used multiple semiotic resources as they stepped into the story including their uses of language (e.g., English and Spanish), gesture, facial expression, body position, movement, tone, volume, and even moments of silence. Teachers recognized and supported students’ meaning-making through moves such as: participating as an agitator, ensuring connections with characters, and making a space for students’ autonomy as decision-makers. These findings suggested that students’ resource use and their teacher’s support extended beyond the turning point with evidence of meaning-making and support across the entire read-aloud experience. The theoretical and pedagogical implications of this study argue that picturebooks with socially- conscious themes in conjunction with teacher mediation provides for rich meaning- making and investment in proposing solutions to story-based problems.
Feminist performance pedagogy : theatre for youth and social justice
(2013-05) Freeman, Emily Rachael; Alrutz, Megan
This thesis describes the use of feminist performance pedagogy in working toward a Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) practice that engages youth in social justice. Drawing on feminist and pedagogical theories, this document explores the processes of writing, rehearsing, and touring a new social justice play for youth called 'And Then Came Tango.' The qualitative study outlined in this MFA thesis uses feminist research methodologies to analyze the engagement of the playwright, the artistic team working on the production of 'And Then Came Tango,' and the second and third grade audiences that participated in the touring production and post-show workshops. The author weaves personal story throughout the document in order to create new meaning around the research experiences as well as to illustrate the personal dimensions of engaging in the struggle around LGBTQ injustice. The discussion invites future artists, educators, and activists to imagine how theory, aesthetics, artists, and communities collaborate in order to work toward socially just and interactive TYA.
Hemlock grove
(2007-05) McGreevy, Brian, 1983-; Magnuson, James
A postmodern gothic.
The intersection of autobiography and dramaturgy : evolving images of rebels and rebellion in three play
(2007-05) Pavelchik, Ryan; Dietz, Steven
Not available
Love and violence : the fusion or eruption
(2007-05) Darby, Robbie Ann, 1982-; Hammond, Barney; Beckham, Andrea; Jones, Omi Osun Joni L., 1955-
The Master’s Thesis for the M.F.A. Acting program consists of both a performance and written component. The performance component being a 20 minute solo performance (performed on April 13, 2007), and the written component being an explanation of the creative process that went into constructing the performance piece, a self evaluation of the work (in process and performance), and finally, a copy of the script and supplemental production materials.
Mother of the Golds
(2017-05) Pallo, Erica Robert; Raval, P. J. (Paul James); Schiesari, Nancy; Stovall, Luanne
This report summarizes the production process for the Narrative Short Film, Mother of The Golds. It details the origin of the story, the conceptualization from an idea to a film, the timeline from start to finish, and the collaborative nature of the film as a project between the director and a variety of other creatives. This film was produced as the final requirement for my final Thesis Project for the Degree of Masters in Fine Arts in Film & Media Production in the Department of Radio-Television-Film at The University of Texas at Austin.
Neo-mythological dramatic inception : a multimedia electroacoustic music concert
(2023-05-19) Zhang, Jinghong, 1988-; Tejera, Januibe, 1979-; Sharlat, Yevgeniy, 1977-; Buchanan, Jason Thorpe; Drott, Eric A; Maggart, Alison
Neo-mythological Dramatic Inception is a multimedia theatrical electroacoustic music project based on Chinese mythologies. The integration of interactive electronics and theatrical elements, such as choreography, stage and lighting design with newly invented musical instruments, posts many challenges and new experimentations in creating this unique form of performance art. These challenges include the design of interactive electroacoustic sonic system, interaction between music and other theatrical components of the work, the reason and purpose of the making of a new musical instrument relevant to the project, musical structuring based on the improvisational setting, and collaborative endeavor of the project aimed to emerge different musical languages and voices into an intrigued musical form. Chapter 1 will introduce the genesis of this project and my main influences that lead to the fruition of this work. Chapter 2 will provide a general overview of the interdisciplinary designs of the project, while Chapter 3 will offer an in-depth analysis of these designs through a movement-by-movement analysis.analysis of these designs through a movement-by-movement analysis.
Personalizing politics in drama : an examination of strategies for writing character-driven political plays
(2010-05) Zimmerman, Martin George Andrew; Zeder, Suzan; Dietz, Steven J.; Lynn, Kirk
This thesis consists of two major components. It begins with an analytical essay that discusses the three final plays I wrote during my time at the University of Texas at Austin (White Tie Ball, The Making of a Modern Folk Hero, and A.I.M.). The essay also places these plays within the context of my larger journey as a writer during my graduate coursework. Specifically, the essay addresses the different strategies I employed to effectively integrate my characters’ pursuit of their very personal objectives with the politics of the world in each play. Immediately, following this analytical essay are the three plays in question placed in the order in which I wrote them.
Perspectives through play : playbuilding as participatory action research in arts-based professional development
(2013-05) Martin, Noah James; Dawson, Kathryn
This thesis document presents a case study of a professional development playbuilding process at a public elementary school located in Austin, Texas. The study argues that playbuilding is a form of participatory action arts-based research particularly when positioned within the professional development setting. This qualitative study uses a narrative thematic analysis of the playbuilding process and workshop performance to examine how reflective and reflexive practice is situated within playbuilding as professional development. The document concludes with a discussion of the limitations and transformative potential of playbuilding and argues for the creation of critical pedagogical professional learning communities for teachers in school settings.
Pilgrims, Puritans, and popular culture : performing citizenship in the 20th century national imaginary
(2017-05-11) Guenther, Amy Kathleen; Canning, Charlotte, 1964-; Bonin-Rodriguez, Paul; Gutiérrez, Laura; Kevorkian, Martin; Rossen, Rebecca; Thompson, Lisa B.
Pilgrims, Puritans, and Popular Culture argues that representations of the Puritans in the twentieth century were most often used to negotiate national identity in terms of hegemonic whiteness at moments when the idealized citizen as white, Protestant, heterosexual, and male was in crisis. Whether represented as proto-Americans or moralizing killjoys, they embodied the US’s national origin story and helped to define what citizenship meant in the twentieth century. Using performance as both the object of study and methodological lens, I demonstrate how national identity and citizenship are performed through actual bodies on stage playing Puritans. I organize my analyses around three common Puritan narratives adapted into stage performances: the First Thanksgiving, the Salem witch trials, and The Scarlet Letter. My examination of these texts focuses on what I call Puritan formations, an extension of sociologists Michael Omi and Howard Winant’s (2015) concept of racial formations. Using archival documents such as scripts, performance reviews, and programs, I theorize how a constructed historical memory can be embodied in and imposed upon present bodies. The introduction provides a brief overview of how Puritan formations began to function in the nineteenth century. As I argue, the traits twentieth-century citizens often criticized the Puritans for harken back to a nineteenth-century search for a unified national identity more so than the archive of the Puritans. Chapter one examines the early twentieth-century practice of using Thanksgiving plays in public schools to teach US history and assimilate Southern and Eastern European immigrant children into a unified (white) national identity. The next chapter continues through the mid-twentieth century with an analysis of Arthur Miller’s racial and performative adaptation of Tituba in The Crucible (1953). The third chapter concludes the twentieth century with an analysis of Phyllis Nagy’s 1994 feminist stage adaptation of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1850 novel The Scarlet Letter, comparing the play’s production context to Hawthorne’s. To conclude, I begin to consider what the use of a Puritan past might mean in the twenty-first century. Throughout, I suggest that tensions in Puritan formations reflect the tensions of remembering a national past steeped in settler colonialism, slavery, assimilation, and democracy.
Playing in the middle : the value of the arts in middle level education
(2014-05) Hearn, Lindsay Michelle; Alrutz, Megan
In 2012, the Austin Independent School District implemented a ten-year Creative Learning Initiative to develop every school in the district into an arts rich school. However, research on arts richness presents varied descriptions of what an arts rich school looks like and lacks student voices. This MFA Thesis documents an applied project utilizing an arts based research process to explore student beliefs about the value of the arts and arts richness at the middle school level. In the document, I analyze student beliefs about the value of the arts through modified grounded theory from a data set including a performance, a playscript, group discussions, surveys, and my personal field notes and reflections. I find that the students share a similar understanding with published research of overall categories describing arts richness, including quantity of arts opportunities, quality of artistic and educational programs, and school climate. They deepen the perspective researchers present on school climate in arts rich schools, offering specific ways in which the arts invite a positive school climate. I conclude the document with reflections on defining arts richness, the arts based research process, and areas for further consideration as schools move toward creative learning for the 21st century.