Date on Master's Thesis/Doctoral Dissertation

8-2016

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

M.F.A.

Department

Theatre Arts

Degree Program

Theatre Arts, MFA

Committee Chair

Jones, Johnny

Committee Co-Chair (if applicable)

Kelly, Hubert Baron

Committee Member

Kelly, Hubert Baron

Committee Member

Smith, Siobhan

Author's Keywords

Polaroid Stories; G; Naomi Izuka; Konrad Davis; Resistance

Abstract

This thesis will analyze my portrayal of G (Zeus) in Polaroid Stories by Naomi Iizuka through my psychological journey as an actor. In my investigation of G, I will discuss the specific techniques used to create my performance in Polaroid Stories, which include influences from my Commedia, Improv, and ensemble training. I will examine the connection these tools acquired during my candidacy at the University of Louisville as well as real-life experiences that shaped my professional development as an artist and performer. In this thesis you will discover the influence of my early youth, my blackness, the artistic technique, and the mis-education of life experiences that shaped my artistic expression of G (Zeus). In finding G, I considered the following questions: When does the actor win? Does the actor sacrifice his artistic freedom or is there a level of resistance the actor can have? How does the artistic negotiation work between actor, director, and playwright? I found through my research that the artist does win through a negotiation with his/her ensemble, which can only be found once the artist is in control of his/her resistance.

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