Browsing by Subject "Theatre design"

Now showing 1 - 8 of 8

The B.E.S.T. Connection Berryhill's Educational Stagecraft Training
(2011-05) Berryhill, Tramaine Quinton; Jones, Omi Osun Joni L., 1955-; Cloyes, Rusty
In this document I explore the history of African Americans backstage, detail the types of technical theatre training currently provided to young technicians and offer a program that targets African American high school students. The focus is on students who are already engaged and interested in the performing arts but may not have the resources or opportunity to explore design and technology. I spend time discussing models of mentoring, apprenticeship and coaching as examples of the types of training that my program will provide. This document concludes with the proposal of a program that will help educate young African Americans about careers in technical theatre and design. It is my desire to combine two ideas that have been with me my entire life, mentoring and performing arts education, into a program that helps to provide opportunity, ignite ambition, and guide students to success.
Grown-up engagement in theatre for the very young
(2017-05) Ramsey, Rebecca Drew; Alrutz, Megan
Theatre for the Very Young (TVY), a segment of the much larger field of Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA), is an inherently intergenerational experience. Audiences younger than five seldom attend theatre without an adult caregiver. Yet adult audience members in TYA and TVY are often positioned as gatekeepers, adversaries blocking access to young audience members. This thesis wonders how theatre-makers in TVY might more intentionally consider their adult audience members in order to better engage this intergenerational audience. Drawing from the successful intergenerational engagement of Pixar’s animated studios, this thesis documents the development of Raise the Moon, a new play for the very young that aims to engage adults and young people in an equally rich artistic experience. The findings in this thesis invite theatre makers to consider high quality aesthetics, economy of storytelling, and space in their creations for multiple interpretations in order to create theatre that engages grown-ups and young people together.
Hearing as seeing : investigating the relationship between what we see and what we hear
(2020-06-22) Goodman, Tucker Murray; Bloodgood, William
This paper focuses on the relationship between auditory and visual elements, exploring the way in which intentional incorporation of music influences visual artists and designers’ practice. Theatrical design programs teach students how to read a text and interpret the story told by the words on the page. The words may communicate much of the story, but by the time the production reaches the audience, many other elements join in: scenery, costumes, lighting, media, and sound. If these elements do not work together, they can create a cacophony instead of clarifying the narrative. Rather than competing with the words, visual and auditory elements should work together to tell the story cohesively. Inspired by the nebulous relationship between sight and sound, I researched historical, scientific, and artistic interpretations of this relationship. The information I gathered, presented in context with my personal reflections on the use of music as inspiration for visual design, led to the creation of a thesis in two parts: an art exhibition within a reflexive research project. The art exhibition, titled “Hearing As Seeing,” investigates the question, “What is the relationship between what we see and what we hear?” The research project employs action research by inviting the artists and designers who participated in the exhibition to investigate the question, “How might the intentional incorporation of music affect the process of creating visual art?”
The photographic and spatial survey method for video projection
(2013-05) Kurihara, Jeffrey Paul; Isackes, Richard M.
Abstract The Photographic and Spatial Survey Method for Video Projection Jeffrey Paul Kurihara, M.F.A. The University of Texas at Austin, 2013 Supervisor: Richard M. Isackes The process and practices that are described in this document were used in several realized video installation projects over the course of 2011-2013. These installations all encompassed the use of Architectural Video Projection Mapping techniques to create transformative animated video projections upon the pre-existing architecture of multiple locations. The process used to achieve this required the integration of multiple practices to obtain and translate specific spatial data to be used in the artistic content creation process. Particular to this method uses a photographic and spatial survey to map the video content accordingly to the architecture of the space. The projects included an installation on a building facade for the Art Alliance Austin’s Holiday Stroll in 2011, another installation on the architecture of an interior wall of a museum space for an event at the Austin Museum of Art in 2013, a site-specific musical theater piece called Almost Invincible in the University of Texas Co-op’s Cohen New Works Festival 2013, and multiple stages of a live music venue named Cheer-up Charlie’s in Austin, Texas form 2011 to 2013.
‘ratio : an experiment in collaboration and generating narrative
(2014-05) Anderson, William Craig; Isackes, Richard M.
‘ratio, is a new play that was conceived as a collaborative experiment to investigate the possibility of a playwright and designer co-authoring a script through their preferred mediums; written text and visual art. The final script document consists of both a written text and visual narrative text, asking the reader to create and interpret the story through both mediums.
The design process for XR experiences
(2020-05-09) Easdon, Jesse Allen; Bloodgood, William
The act of telling stories has been a core part of the human experience since the days of cavemen standing around a fire to tell the story of the day's hunt (Balter). As new technologies are being developed, such as virtual reality headsets and cellphones with augmented reality capabilities, the designer's process has been challenged. We are increasingly living in a world where human experiences are separating from physical reality and moving toward an extended reality or XR. “Extended Reality” (XR) is the umbrella term used to describe VR (Virtual Reality), AR (Augmented Reality), and MR (Mixed Reality) as well as all future realities [any new experiences that might be created outside of the already existing realms] such technology, might bring. XR covers the full spectrum of real and virtual environments'' (Scribani). The challenge Designers are facing is how to effectively tell engaging stories using new and increasingly prevalent technologies within the XR envelope. Many experiences utilizing XR tend to focus on the technology and tools rather than the story. XR is the new “Wild West” in storytelling. There are no hard rules and no defined creative processes for crafting a successful experience within the technology. This thesis asks the question, can the theatrical design process help to create more successful XR experiences? Success being more social interaction and long-lasting engagement. Can a focus on human-centric stories make the experiences more engaging? In this thesis, I will be investigating three XR experiences and their varying design processes. The evaluation of this research will be qualitative rather than quantitative. The success or failure of these experiential XR designs will be determined through the lens of a collaborative theatrical designer.
The thing is... : a self-reflective, artistic exploration through object assemblage
(2020-09-08) Bradley, Delena Ann; Bloodgood, William; Blumenfeld, Mara
Designers in theatre practice the art of creating, curating, and assembling items on stage in collaboration on a performance to drive a narrative. We frequently think of inanimate items as evidence of human action or props in a drama driven by human actors. In this MFA thesis, I will challenge this assumption by investigating how classism has played a role in undermining the intellectual and academic study of meaning in physical objects and craft. Then I will use theories of materialism, posthumanism, sociology, and assemblage from several disciplines to develop a framework to explore and understand how I design, curate, and collage various items to tell a story. This is a study of theory through reflection on my past work and reflection in various exercises. I will describe how I learned to devise, shape, and articulate my own approach to design theory by identifying the three lenses through which I look while making work; Positionality, Object Narrative, and Assemblage.
Triple Trilithon Outdoor Theater
(2020-09-11) Shirley, Clinton Austin; Habeck, Michelle M.
The purpose of this thesis project is to research and design an outdoor performance space that will facilitate and enhance communion among people. In addition, the space will connect the users to their own human ancestry by the integration of ancient building principles into the structure’s design and construction. I researched many of the world’s Megalithic architectural sites and visited Chaco Canyon, New Mexico to study the winter solstice light’s interaction with the architecture. I was looking for harmonies and elements that “spoke” to peace and community. I identified two structures that exemplified these collective unconscious ideals to use as a framework for my design. My design for the Triple Trilithon Outdoor Theater combines architectural elements from the Holy of Holies Room in the Hypogeum on the Island of Malta and the Great Kivas from Chaco Canyon. The design utilizes the principles of directionality, balanced dualism, and hierophany. Embedded within the design of The Triple Trilithon Outdoor Theater the effects of directionality, balanced dualism, and hierophany are aimed at creating a space that elicits inner harmony. Audience members and performers will benefit from participating in and with this space just as ancient peoples utilized their architecture to enhance their spirituality, sense of peace, attainment of knowledge and enjoyment. I made three scale models of the design to present the idea. I originally intended for a life-sized version of the middle Trilithon doorway to be built and installed, but the Covid-19 outbreak interrupted my plans and I was unable to debut the structure with the performances I had arranged. Instead, I developed a website to present the painted scale models of the Triple Trilithon Outdoor Theater. I designed The Triple Trilithon Outdoor Theater to replicate ancient megalithic structures in use as well as form. My desire was to create a space that elicits inner harmony and builds community. Audience members and performers will benefit from participating in and with this space just as ancient peoples utilized their architecture to enhance their spirituality, sense of peace, attainment of knowledge and enjoyment