A Directorial Experience: Noises Off

Over the years I have been exposed to hundreds of shows, some excellent and other\u27s not quite as good. Few shows that I have read, seen, or been involved with seem to have the appeal to both audiences and theatre groups as that of Michael Frayn\u27s modem farce Noises Off. There are several strong reasons for its appeal. One of the primary reasons for the play\u27s popularity is that it is a reaction against modem theatre\u27s tendency toward preaching at the audience. Contemporary plays tend to teach morality; and while modern playwrights do occasionally use comedy as a vehicle to highlight societal ills, humor usually is achieved through intellectual dramatic dialogue. Noises Off does not fall into this trap. Frayn is not trying to change the world; rather he is giving it a light slap on the wrist. This play was written simply to entertain, using physical comedy instead of cerebral comedy. This play appeals not only to the audience who view it but also to the theatre department which presents it. The primary reason for this is the :immense and varied challenges this show offers. One of the first challenges within the collective element of working with others will be the auditions. The director must find a cast which is not only talented, but which can also work well together in the short time allotted for rehearsal. Again, because of the limited rehearsal period, more obstacles will have to be overcome. The director will be called upon to use her leadership, listening, and problem solving abilities. The most important aspect of Noises Off is the physical comedy. Ordinarily, blocking supports the dramatic action. In the case of this play the blocking becomes the dramatic action. Finally, working with the technical crew on a production which demands two full sets in a small physical environment will provide further challenges. The reason many theatre departments select this show is that everyone in both the cast and crew will learn more about their craft and their abilities. All the roles are equal, which makes the play an ensemble piece, and every technical department (i.e. costumes, lighting, carpentry) will be facing different challenges that will be new and exciting. The sheer entertainment value of this show has been proven time and time again. The original Broadway production proved this by surviving an incredible 553 performance run (Sheward 285). If done well both the audience and the crew/ cast will enjoy the experience. The show is refreshing, the characters interesting, the dialogue witty, and the laughs (hopefully) nonstop. This director hopes to rise to the occasion. This thesis will support all of the above statements in the five chapters. Chapter One will be an investigation of farce from a historical view and will examine its influences on modern theatre farce. Chapter Two will detail a brief history of playwright Michael Frayn: his distinctive style, how his other works compare to this one, how Noises Off has been received and/ or changed since its inception, and Frayn\u27s critical writings on modern theatre. The play analysis outlined in Francis Hodge\u27s textbook Play Directing is covered in Chapter Three. The forth chapter will consist of the rehearsal log kept during that particular stage of the creative process. Lastly the appendices will include all other applicable material (i.e. a copy of the program, surveys of the cast, crew, and audience, production photos, a ground plan, a copy of the survey the cast and crew filled out, and anything else deemed suitable)

Reinventing identity in transition from principal to professor: a collaborative autoethnography

School leadership is a fast-paced job where stakeholder feedback is frequent, and decision-making requires quick thinking and strong organization. When school leaders transition from practitioner to scholar, they face a dramatic change in pace and responsibility. Unlike their peers who come from academia, practitioner-scholars experience a unique context and career shift that requires navigating unfamiliar organizational structures and translating existing skills into new contexts. This collaborative autoethnography explores the lived experiences of two junior faculty who recently transitioned from the campus principalship to the tenure track professoriate during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through a process of individual writing, group reflection, and shared analysis, common themes emerged from the data, including expectations, relationships, and identity. The research discusses processing unfamiliar experiences in academia, negotiating the re-identification of self, and developing new attachments during the shift from doing the work to supporting and advancing the field

Aberrant Work Environments, Rationed Care as System Failure or Missed Care as Skills Failure?

Missed’ care has emotional, professional and legal connotations because, as one participant from our study noted, the environment can change so quickly and staffing is not allocated to accommodate this. This study used the MISSCARE survey distributed to nurses in New Zealand to find out what care was routinely missed, and why they missed it. The analysis of data returned from 199 nurses revealed that nurses routinely miss care and become frustrated because they are unable to use the knowledge and skill to provide the care; rather they are forced to prioritise care, some of which is either delayed or consciously missed. Whilst this study supported findings of previous research, the emergence of presenteeism as a factor that affects nurses missing care, was highlighted. This has wider implications to the nursing workforce related to their ability to provide safe and effective care, as well as to the organisations in terms of both budget and safety in care provision

Setting Up and Running Online Communities of Practice (CoPs) for Veterinary Educators

Communities of practice (CoPs) are social systems consisting of individuals who come together to share knowledge and solve problems around a common interest. For educators, membership of a CoP can facilitate access to expertise and professional development activities and generate new collaborations. This teaching tip focuses on online CoPs and provides tips for setting up and running such communities. The initial planning phase involves establishing the purpose of the CoP, recruiting an administrative team, designing the structure of the online environment, and choosing a platform. Once the online platform is launched, running the CoP involves building the membership, encouraging engagement (primarily in discussion forums), finding ways to create and share useful resources, and sustaining the community as an active and effective CoP. We also describe a specific example of an online CoP for veterinary educators involved in clinical skills teaching. The membership has grown to represent an international community who engage in a range of activities including sharing knowledge, tips and ideas, asking questions, discussing challenges and promoting collaborative activities

Ethics Education in Professional Psychology: A Survey of American Psychological Association Accredited Programs

Professional psychologists are expected to know ethical standards and engage in proactive analysis of ethical considerations across professional roles (e.g., practice, research, teaching). Yet, little is known about the current state of doctoral ethics education in professional psychology, including the content covered and pedagogical strategies used to ensure developing this core component of professional competency (de las Fuentes, Willmuth, & Yarrow, 2005). A survey of ethics educators from APAaccredited programs across the United States and Canada resulted in 136 instructors reporting on their program\u27s ethics training. The majority of questionnaires returned were from PhD programs (77.9%). A substantial number of programs were clinical (59.6%) and followed a scientist practitioner training model (69.9%). The response rate across specialties ranged from 34.5% to 41.4%. Nearly all (95.6%) reported having a required ethics course. Lectures (95.6%) were the most common teaching method reported. Fully 100% of ethics educators reported teaching about mandated reporting and informed consent to treatment. An overwhelming majority (90% and above) covered the same 11 other topics, showing notable convergence in content. The most commonly used document across programs (99.3%) was the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (APA, 2010). The most common type of assignment was reading (94.1%), and the most common teaching practice was teaching by example (90.4%). Finally the most endorsed teaching goal was advancement of critical thinking (94.9%). Implications for ethics education and future research directions are described. © 2014 American Psychological Association