Phil Davis: the process of acting

Phil Davis has had a distinguished career, receiving widespread acclaim for his ‘invisible’ acting. This article illuminates Davis’ approach to acting via a transcribed interview conducted at the ‘Acting on Television’ symposium at the University of Reading in 2016. This material is framed by a contextualising introduction that proposes that John Flaus’ concept of lamprotes is useful for understanding Davis’ acting. The interview is structured by four case studies exploring Davis’ work across a range of medium/genre contexts: feature film Vera Drake, docudrama The Curse of Steptoe, drama serial adaptation Bleak House and crime drama Sherlock

Phenolic metabolites of anthocyanins modulate mechanisms of endothelial function

Anthocyanins are reported to have vascular bioactivity, however their mechanisms of action are largely unknown. Evidence suggests that anthocyanins modulate endothelial function, potentially by increasing nitric oxide (NO) synthesis, or enhancing NO bioavailability. This study compared the activity of cyanidin-3-glucoside, its degradation product protocatechuic acid, and phase II metabolite, vanillic acid. Production of NO and superoxide and expression of endothelial NO synthase (eNOS), NADPH oxidase (NOX), and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) were established in human vascular cell models. Nitric oxide levels were not modulated by the treatments, although eNOS was upregulated by cyanidin-3-glucoside, and superoxide production was decreased by both phenolic acids. Vanillic acid upregulated p22phox mRNA but did not alter NOX protein expression, although trends were observed for p47phox downregulation and HO-1 upregulation. Anthocyanin metabolites may therefore modulate vascular reactivity by inducing HO-1 and modulating NOX activity, resulting in reduced superoxide production and improved NO bioavailability

The rehearsal process of playwright/director Anthony Neilson

This thesis seeks to make a contribution to the emerging field of Rehearsal Studies. It is an analytical account of the rehearsal process of playwright and director Anthony Neilson, whose ‘noted process’ has been attracting critical attention. He begins his rehearsals with no script, and the actors are involved in a complex devising process. The thesis pays particular attention to the perspective of the actor within this collaborative environment. The thesis will focus on the rehearsals of one specific production at the Royal Court Theatre in London, Neilson’s 2013 play Narrative. This thesis utilises an unusual methodological approach, in that its findings have been reached via close analysis of filmed footage of the Narrative rehearsals, as well as interviews with the practitioners involved in the production, in addition to other actors who have collaborated with Neilson in the past. This thesis follows a tripartite structure which aims to uncover the particular properties of Neilson’s rehearsal methodology and the manner in which his approach critically engages with the issue of authorship, improvisation and the director-actor relationship. It also seeks to address issues such as how the investigation of rehearsals can contribute to our understanding of theatre practice. The thesis also demonstrates how research based on the analysis of filmed footage can facilitate a more in-depth enquiry of the subtextual components that are often of fundamental importance to rehearsals. In addition, the thesis will show how the often marginalised perspective of the actor has a productive and illuminating contribution to make to the understanding of Neilson’s process specifically, and the field of Rehearsal Studies more broadly

CO and trans-cinnamaldehyde as corrosion inhibitors of I825, L80-13Cr and N80 alloys in concentrated HCl solutions at high pressure and temperature

Peer reviewedPostprin

The pseudodichotomous Dasya sylviae sp. nov. (Delesseriaceae, Ceramiales) from 60–90 m mesophotic reefs off Bermuda

The red alga Dasya sylviae C.W.Schneid., M.M.Cassidy & G.W.Saunders sp. nov . is described from mesophotic depths of 60–90 m off Bermuda. Genetic sequences (COI-5P, rbc L) and morphological characteristics show that this species is distinct from other known pseudodichotomous species of Dasya . Of ten current species in the genus reported from Bermuda, only three, D. collinsiana M.Howe, D. cryptica C.W.Schneid., Quach & C.E.Lane and D. punicea (Zanardini) Menegh., share the overall pattern of pseudodichotomous branching in their axes; however, key morphological features easily distinguish them from D. sylviae sp. nov. The species most similar in habit to D. sylviae sp. nov. is D. crouaniana J.Agardh (type locality West Indies), but it bears shorter pseudolateral branches, and broader and longer tetrasporangial stichidia than the new species. Unique among the species of Dasya , D. sylviae sp. nov. lacks post-sporangial cover cells in tetrasporangial stichidia

Graphic Flash: A Collaboration of Writing, Arts and Media

Graphic Flash is an interdisciplinary collaborative project involving almost 100 students at SUNY Oswego. The process begins with a flash fiction story produced by advanced creative writers. These narratives are given to students in digital illustration, filmmaking students, and music students who come up with their own artistic interpretations of the stories. All of the student artworks are then brought together into a single Graphic Flash application. The app, designed by SUNY Oswego students studying digital publication, creates a space for all of the different art forms to exist aesthetically together in one location. The interactivity of the app allows the audience to read stories or hear the authors read them; to view an illustration; to listen to music based on the narrative themes; to watch short films. The resultant experience invites the audience to experience the versatility and depth of a single artistic idea explored creatively through the prism of multiple artistic lenses. SUNY Oswego students representing the various disciplines involved in Graphic Flash will speak to their creative processes and the ways they introduced their personal vision into the shared practices. Discussion from panelists will likely also include topics like ekphrasis (art responding to art), adaptation, the role of professionalism in writing and the arts, the role of taste in collaborative work, and arts in the digital age