Matching Items (9)
Filtering by
- Creators: School of Politics and Global Studies
- Member of: Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection
Description
Only in the world of acting can an individual be denied a job simply on the basis of their appearance, and in my thesis, I sought to explore alternatives to this through the concept of nontraditional casting and casting against "type", which included the presentation of a full-length production of the musical "Once on this Island" which I attempted to cast based on vocal quality and skill alone rather than taking physical characteristics into account. I researched the history and implementation of nontraditional casting, both in regards to race and other factors such as gender, socio-economic status, and disability. I also considered the legal and intellectual property challenges that nontraditional casting can pose. I concluded from this research that while nontraditional casting is only one solution to the problem, it still has a great deal of potential to create diversity in theater. For my own show, I held the initial auditions via audio recording, though the callback auditions were held in person so that I and my crew could appraise dance and acting ability. Though there were many challenges with our cast after this initial round of auditions, we were able to solidify our cast and continue through the rehearsal process. All things said, the show was very successful. It is my hope that those who were a part of the show, either as part of the production or the audience, are inspired to challenge the concept of typecasting in contemporary theater.
ContributorsBriggs, Timothy James (Author) / Yatso, Toby (Thesis director) / Dreyfoos, Dale (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Music (Contributor)
Created2014-12
Description
The process of playwriting is much more than merely writing the script itself; it is a process of outlining, writing, rewriting, and rewriting some more. This project explores that process from the very beginning to the late stages of final rewrites on a full-length, two-act stage play, Forget Me Not. Thematically, the play addresses issues such as legacy, ambition, the limitations of memory, and the complex relationships between women. It also speaks to the possibility of hope and revolves around twenty-something characters who are not nihilistic or pretentious as in the frequently-dominant portrayal of that demographic, but rather witty, intelligent, and layered. The play applies techniques of playwriting with a focus on character development as the element that drives the story, while also playing with conceptions of memory and time through the framing device, structure, and narration. A craft essay follows the script of the play, detailing the process of conceptualizing, writing, and revising the play.
ContributorsPrahl, Amanda Catherine (Author) / Sterling, Pamela (Thesis director) / Campbell, Corey (Committee member) / Jennings-Roggensack, Colleen (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / School of Film, Dance and Theatre (Contributor) / Department of English (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
We endeavored to begin the process of writing a musical. We composed a total of three songs, 30 pages of script (non-consecutive) with an outline summarizing the remaining uncompleted pages, seven character summaries/analyses, and a reflection on the process and next steps, and presented them in a “Producer Pitch” format to our readers. In our paper we discuss the birth of inspiration for Girls And Boys—namely philosophical conflicts about the role of biology vs. society in gender identity and real, local events of public districts reevaluating their sex education program—as well as the challenges we experienced during the process and our intentions for continued work towards the completion of the material. In our written script we span the opening of the show to the climax through sporadically completed scenes, with the outline serving to fill in the blanks. In our music, we composed three pieces—a solo ballad, an ensemble number, and an emotional trio—that we converted into an audio file format, and performed live for a small audience. Ultimately, we seek to use the elevated drama of a musical to convince the audience that empathy is the truest, ageless, and genderless expression of humanity.
ContributorsDoering, Emilie (Co-author) / Moylan, Megan (Co-author) / Yatso, Toby (Thesis director) / Mills, Robert (Committee member) / Harper, Robert (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Music (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
This thesis explores the dialogue between William Shakespeare, Central and Eastern Europe during the Soviet experiment, and the power of performance as protest. Politically inflected plays that are transnational appropriations of Shakespeare were aimed to subvert state-sanctioned censorship in order to enforce public socio-political interrogations of the Communist Party. My research first established a foundation for the site-specific historical and political context from which the interpretations stem, before examining the texts themselves as pieces of cultural resistance. I focused on four appropriations of Shakespeare’s plays, one being a rewrite of Richard III and three being rewrites of Hamlet: Nedyalko Yordanov’s The Murder of Gonzago from Bulgaria, Matei Visniec’s Richard III Will Not Take Place or Scenes from the Life of Vsevolod Meyerhold from Romania, Géza Bereményi’s Halmi, or the Prodigal Son from Hungary, and finally Boris Akunin’s Hamlet, A Version, a contemporary example of the lasting strength of Shakespearean appropriations. My research essentially followed the question of how countries from the Soviet bloc viewed its own contexts through the Shakespearean prism, as well as the phenomenon of political indictments being historically communicated through theater. I also examined how cultural representatives, for the purpose of this project being playwrights and dramatic performers, employ historically separate material to address the present issues. Ultimately, by researching pre- and post-communist dramas written within the architecture of Shakespeare, an understanding of the role and power of the artist in the political landscape can be attained.
ContributorsEllison, Amber Nicole (Author) / Orlich, Ileana (Thesis director) / Goggin, Maureen (Committee member) / Department of English (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
This thesis is a two-part theatre and literature project on The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde. The research component will consist of gathering information from the origins of this play in writing and in production to further understand my knowledge of the time it was written in and how it has been interpreted over the years. The theatrical elements will come as I direct and produce my own production of the play, and compare my research of Wilde's play and past productions to my own directorial decisions in attempt to make a successful student performed play.
ContributorsMarnick, Courtney Melissa (Author) / Miller, April (Thesis director) / Brown, Dori (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
For my thesis I wrote CoriolanU.S., a brand new play based on the storyline of Shakespeare's Coriolanus. It is in modern English and could stand alone as its own work if one was not familiar with the original play. It follows Coriolanus, a police officer who decides to run for mayor after becoming a hero in his city for helping quell a protest. Running against him is Brutus, a white, female neoliberal who represents a seemingly different, but sometimes similar, political side. Coriolanus is meant to be symbolic of the modern day Republican party and show how difficult it can be for people of color to interact with the political scene. The play also features Aufidius, a flawed but determined political activist in the city. The work deals with themes of immigration, over policing, and what people are willing to do to implement their version of a better world. In addition to writing this piece, I also directed and produced a production of it at a local arts collective; the show ran for three nights. I worked with a cast of twelve students for a period of seven weeks. We had rehearsals on the Tempe campus. When casting the play, I had to pay attention to race because many of the roles in my new play are written specifically for people of color. Thus, putting together this thesis involved research not only into adapting Shakespeare's work, but also research into adapting his work for people of color actors and audience. From start to finish, my thesis involved reading Shakespeare, conducting research, writing the play, getting feedback on it and rewriting parts, the rehearsal process of the play, and staging the production.
ContributorsCabral, Angelica (Author) / Sandoval, Mathew (Thesis director) / Ryner, Bradley (Committee member) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism & Mass Comm (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-12
Description
Breakin Media is a social media consulting agency that targets small business owners (comedians) specifically in the Baby Boomer, Generation X, and Older Millennial category. Comedians, specifically, who are auditioning for shows or going to comedy clubs, may not be seeing the same level of success as another comedian who has a large social media following. This is true for most industries. Small businesses who do not have social media have lower rates of customer satisfaction and revenue. This business is about educating, analyzing, and building business owners so they too can feel part of the social media revolution.
This business uses research and data from different social media comedians in order to create a guide for comedians who own comedy clubs or are trying to break into show business. This thesis includes the logistics of starting a business. It will outline the financing and pricing of a service like this for individuals and businesses. This also outlines the generational stigma of social media, and the difficulties an older generation is currently facing when wanting to expand their business into social media.
The Breakin Media business model assesses each client on a set of five pillars, which have been found by research to affect follower count. The five pillars are relatability, targeted marketing, consistency, high-quality content, and algorithm alignment. Each pillar is dissected and used to increase the exposure of every comedian. There is a 3 tier system for pricing that outlines the costs of each service, and an infographic to guide each client. This thesis is about bridging a gap in generations, and increasing success for small businesses, specifically in theatre and comedy.
This business uses research and data from different social media comedians in order to create a guide for comedians who own comedy clubs or are trying to break into show business. This thesis includes the logistics of starting a business. It will outline the financing and pricing of a service like this for individuals and businesses. This also outlines the generational stigma of social media, and the difficulties an older generation is currently facing when wanting to expand their business into social media.
The Breakin Media business model assesses each client on a set of five pillars, which have been found by research to affect follower count. The five pillars are relatability, targeted marketing, consistency, high-quality content, and algorithm alignment. Each pillar is dissected and used to increase the exposure of every comedian. There is a 3 tier system for pricing that outlines the costs of each service, and an infographic to guide each client. This thesis is about bridging a gap in generations, and increasing success for small businesses, specifically in theatre and comedy.
ContributorsVazquez, Margot (Author) / Bruhn, Karen (Thesis director) / Heinzmann, Sandra (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-12
Description
My study explores how watching live theatre can impact students’ views on cultural awareness, identity, and class divisions. 22 students who had little to no previous participation with the arts were chosen to see the musical, Once on This Island , at ASU Gammage. Once on This Island offers a story of hope, love, and sacrifice that inspires audiences to fight for what they believe in. The students were asked to fill out a pre-show survey before seeing the show and participate in a discussion concluded by a post-show survey after they watched the show. The questions in the surveys and discussions revolved around the students’ feelings towards cultural awareness, identity, and class divisions. The responses revealed that students were introduced to a new culture and became more tolerant of engaging with other cultures as they were immersed in a new perspective. Also, students reexamined how they identified themselves and what the role of relationships played on their identity. Finally, the study found that through seeing the live production, the students became more accepting of all social classes because they were able to empathize with characters in a different social class than themselves.
ContributorsMiller, Melanie (Author) / Sandoval, Mathew (Thesis director) / Ong, Desiree (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
DescriptionWritten reviews and rankings of fifteen shows that played in the West End during the 2023 season.
ContributorsLewis, Cheyenne (Author) / Hunt, Kristin (Thesis director) / Peavey, Katie (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / School of Music, Dance and Theatre (Contributor)
Created2023-12