A Co-Curriculuar Theatre Arts Handbook: Tips and Techniques to Use When Directing a Production at the High School Level

This project is a handbook of techniques and strategies for beginning directors of high school drama programs. Included in this handbook are sections on selecting the best productions for your actors, strategies for directing the young actor, helpful hints on how to build a successful extra-curricular drama program, and more. This project was based on a review ofliterature (including extant curriculum guides and articles and textbooks on directing and acting) and the author\u27s fifteen years experience as an actor, director, and theatre arts educator

The English theatre studios of Michael Chekhov and Michel Saint-Denis, 1935-1965

This thesis charts the brief history of the theatre studios run in England between 1935 and 1965 by Michel Saint-Denis (1897-1971) and Michael Chekhov (1891- 1955). They were the London Theatre Studio (1936-1939), run by Saint-Denis; The Chekhov Theatre Studio at Dartington Hall (1936-1938); The Old Vic Theatre School (1947-1952), initially part of the proposed Old Vic Theatre Centre, whose directors were Michel Saint-Denis, George Devine and Glen Byam Shaw; and the RSC Studio (1962- 1965), run by Saint-Denis. All of these studios were dedicated to combining training and experimentation in the development of ensemble companies and were therefore liminal spaces combining elements of a theatre and a theatre school. An introductory section briefly situates the practice of theatre studios in the context of wider narratives of work, craftsmanship and artistry in the period and traces their development from the Moscow Art Theatre Studio of 1905, as well as sketching some significant parallels between Saint-Denis and Chekhov. The first two sections of the thesis then explore the period from 1936 until 1952, looking first at Chekhov’s and then at Saint-Denis’ studios, placing them in the context of the traditions of training and exploration from which they emerged, and examining their practice and their legacies. The final section of the thesis explores the direct impact of their practice on the Post War British Theatre, focusing particularly on the Royal Shakespeare Company whose Studio was run by Saint-Denis, and where Paul Rogers (one of Chekhov’s students) was a leading actor. A short concluding section applies the principles of Chekhov’s and Saint- Denis’ work to the practice of training and experimentation in 2012 and looks to the future, to ask whether the studios whose work is explored in the main body of the thesis have a role to play in the future development of the art of the theatre

Scenography as process in British devised and postdramatic theatre

The term scenography is an increasingly popular one within the worldwide theatre making community, becoming the term of choice to refer to the visual, spatial and aural aspects of theatre production. In her book What is Scenography? (2002) Pamela Howard suggests that we should consider the term scenography as referring not only to those aspects of the theatre product, but also to the collaborative process through which the product is created. In the context of her study, Howard refers to scenography as process within her own work, grounded in the production of literary texts. But what are the implications of scenography as process within non text-based and postdramatic theatre? This thesis will consider the place and process of design within devised and postdramatic theatre, and how this fits with Howard's conception of scenography as process. The change and development in all aspects of the theatre making process that occurred through the twentieth century, with the growth of devising methodologies and collective-based companies, necessitated the emergence of a different type of theatre designer. Howard cites an emphasis in collaboration and the scenographer's presence in the rehearsal room as distinguishing factors between a scenographic and more orthodox design process, and as such this need for a collaborative design methodology can be seen as having arisen from the development of collective and devising working processes. Considering the historical importance of figures such as Appia, Craig, Meyerhold, Brecht and Svoboda in the revolution and development of stage design and scenography through the twentieth century, this thesis documents the scenic practice of Complicite, Improbable, Forced Entertainment, Fevered Sleep and two recent productions by Katie Mitchell at the National Theatre, considering scenography as an integral part of the process of writing the performance text. Out of the work of these practitioners various models of scenographic practice are drawn, offering a variety of methodologies that can be used individually or in combination as a starting point for developing scenography in a devised or postdramatic context

The play's the thing

For very understandable reasons phenomenological approaches predominate in the field of sensory urbanism. This paper does not seek to add to that particular discourse. Rather it takes Rorty’s postmodernized Pragmatism as its starting point and develops a position on the role of multi-modal design representation in the design process as a means of admitting many voices and managing multidisciplinary collaboration. This paper will interrogate some of the concepts underpinning the Sensory Urbanism project to help define the scope of interest in multi-modal representations. It will then explore a range of techniques and approaches developed by artists and designers during the past fifty years or so and comment on how they might inform the question of multi-modal representation. In conclusion I will argue that we should develop a heterogeneous tool kit that adopts, adapts and re-invents existing methods because this will better serve our purposes during the exploratory phase(s) of any design project that deals with complexity

The play's the thing

For very understandable reasons phenomenological approaches predominate in the field of sensory urbanism. This paper does not seek to add to that particular discourse. Rather it takes Rorty’s postmodernized Pragmatism as its starting point and develops a position on the role of multi-modal design representation in the design process as a means of admitting many voices and managing multidisciplinary collaboration. This paper will interrogate some of the concepts underpinning the Sensory Urbanism project to help define the scope of interest in multi-modal representations. It will then explore a range of techniques and approaches developed by artists and designers during the past fifty years or so and comment on how they might inform the question of multi-modal representation. In conclusion I will argue that we should develop a heterogeneous tool kit that adopts, adapts and re-invents existing methods because this will better serve our purposes during the exploratory phase(s) of any design project that deals with complexity

A Study of Directorial Choices in Tennessee Williams\u27 Play Out Cry Focused on Selected Expressionistic Elements

Tennesse Williams\u27 play, OUT CRY, uses many of the expressionistic and symbolic elements he used successfully throughout his career. The characters of OUT CRY struggle with the fear of isolation, of entrapment and of sexual relationship. The aim of my thesis is to focus on selected expressionistic elements in OUT CRY and to elaborate on the choices I made as a director in using the expressionistic elements to convey the theme of fear inherent in the play. I have highlighted the methodology of director Harold Clurman in my analysis of the script. Additionally, I adhered to theory of director Francis Hodge which assisted in the rehearsal process. The expressionistic elements of the world of the play were also explored in my production design collaboration. My study concludes with reflection on the ambiguity of the play, and further reflections on the challenges in directing non-realistic drama. Finally, I assess the ways in which the expressionistic elements of the play OUT CRY aided in emphasizing the theme of fear articulated by Williams

In Search of ‘Taiwaneseness’ – Reconsidering Taiwanese Xing-ju from a Post-colonial Perspective

Xing-ju literally means ‘New Theatre’ in mandarin and denotes the non-traditional performing style in Taiwan. Xing-ju is regarded as the product of colonisation in Taiwan. The thesis began with the first emergence of Xing-ju in the Japanese colonial era at the beginning of the twentieth century, and went on to examine the development of Xing-ju and its sub-forms within a colonial historical context. Having gone through different colonial regimes, Xing-ju has developed into the local theatre form characterizing the hybridity of Taiwanese culture. My study aims to fill a gap in Taiwanese contemporary theatre history, to look at Xing-ju and its sub-forms from a post-colonial perspective, and to provide a continuous and complete Xing-ju history within a theoretical context. In addition, how Xing-ju has exemplified ‘Taiwaneseness’ while presenting multiple cultural characteristics is also examined. This thesis also draws on primary source data, obtained via field research, to analyse the characteristics of Xing-ju performances. Finally, while addressing my research questions through theoretical analysis, I also examine them through the lens of practical work. Inspired by critical syncretism, I experiment with an alternative way to explore the nature of Taiwanese culture and theatre form. With its hybrid cultural characteristics including Japanese Shinpa-geki, Chinese Peking Opera, Ge-zai Xi and Western theatre styles, I discuss how a definition of ‘Taiwaneseness’ emerges through Xing-ju.Taiwan Ministry of Educatio