Date on Master's Thesis/Doctoral Dissertation

5-2012

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

M.F.A.

Department

Theatre Arts

Degree Program

Theatre Arts, MFA

Committee Chair

Tompkins, James Roy

Committee Co-Chair (if applicable)

Steiger, Amy

Committee Member

Steiger, Amy

Committee Member

Dietrich, Julia

Author's Keywords

Will Eno; Performance; The Flu Season; Acting; Rehearsal

Subject

Acting; Eno, Will, 1965---Characters--Man; Eno, Will, 1965- Flu season

Abstract

This thesis examines my work on the role of Man in the University of Louisville's 2011 production of Will Eno's The Flu Season directed by James Tompkins. It is composed of three primary chapters: rehearsal process, character development, and performance. The rehearsal chapter compares and contrasts my experiences working with Dr. Amy Steiger on Charles Mee's A Perfect Wedding and Professor James Tompkins on The Flu Season, highlighting the value of both collaborative and individual aspects in rehearsal. The styles of the directors are observed and discussed concerning their effect upon my acting process and development. In character development I discuss and investigate the potential sources of Man's anxiety through self-observation, textual research, and script analysis. The performance chapter analyzes the dual importance of audience awareness and focus on character, acknowledging growth and establishment as an actor. The thesis concludes with personal insights into the nature of acting and the importance of technique in performance.

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