Abstract

This thesis research and practical application focuses on rediscovering the playfulness of the actor's process and evaluating how that translates into an actor's performance. An actor's confidence can be found in their willingness to play with vocal placement, physical tensions, and emotional and mental patterns and depth. As an actor, my definition of play theory is the act of choosing to be spontaneous, creative, and explorative in the process of storytelling to ultimately lead to stronger choices that develop rich connections. Through the lens of play theory, I demonstrate how play affects our mind, emotions, body, and voice. This thesis presents research on how play affects humanity from childhood to adulthood. I offer practical applications that actors can bring into their individual exploration, audition room, rehearsal process, and performances with the hope that the actor and the audience experiences their storytelling with a deeper level of connection to the text and to their scene partners. I argue that by choosing to approach a story as a means of play, actors can find freedom in their work.

Notes

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Graduation Date

2023

Semester

Spring

Advisor

Listengarten, Julia

Degree

Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.)

College

College of Arts and Humanities

Department

School of Performing Arts

Degree Program

Theatre; Acting Track

Format

application/pdf

Identifier

CFE0009613; DP0027641

URL

https://purls.library.ucf.edu/go/DP0027641

Language

English

Release Date

May 2023

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Access Status

Masters Thesis (Open Access)

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Acting Commons

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