Date on Master's Thesis/Doctoral Dissertation
5-2022
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Degree Name
M.F.A.
Department
Theatre Arts
Degree Program
Theatre Arts, MFA
Committee Chair
Segal, Janna
Committee Co-Chair (if applicable)
Burton, Nefertiti
Committee Member
Burton, Nefertiti
Committee Member
Crosby, Shantel
Author's Keywords
Black; woman; burdening; unburdening; performance; realism
Abstract
Black women who dramatize reality can experience a transference of burdens if realistic plays reflect their lived experiences. Burdens affect truthful character development and impact the mental, emotional, physical, social and spiritual well-being of Black actresses. This thesis will use the Fall 2021 University of Louisville production of Dennis McIntyre’s Split Second as a case study. Gender and Race studies along with an auto-ethnographic research approach will be used to examine how my portrayal of Alea in Split Second contributed to Black Woman Burdening, a phrase I created to examine how Black fatigue can negatively and specifically affect Black women who perform realistic theatre. This thesis offers a process for the actor to “unburden” by merging realism with the therapeutic benefits of mind, body, emotional, social, and spiritual awareness
Recommended Citation
Threatt, Brandi L., "Black women burdening: the process of "unburdening" realism in Dennis McIntyre's split second." (2022). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 3883.
https://doi.org/10.18297/etd/3883
