An Examination of the Acting Career of Edmund Kean (open access)

An Examination of the Acting Career of Edmund Kean

The characterizations of Kean mirrored the deprivation which he suffered as a child, as well as his wild and volcanic nature. It is difficult in a study of Kean to divorce the actor from the man, and the man from the actor. This thesis concludes that each of these two aspects of this genius of the English stage exerted a profound influence upon the other.
Date: August 1972
Creator: Hutson, William F.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The History and Development of Casa Mañana Musicals, 1958-1980 (open access)

The History and Development of Casa Mañana Musicals, 1958-1980

The investigation is a historical survey tracing the development of Casa Mañana Musicals, Inc., Fort Worth, Texas, from its experimental beginning in 1958 as the first permanent musical arena theatre in the United States, through twenty-three subsequent seasons. The study includes a chapter on the origins of theatre and the influences behind its concept dating back to the 1936 Casa Mañana produced by Billy Rose. Subsequent chapters deal with the theatre's seasons and its struggle to gain acceptance. The theatre's more recent financial and labor problems are also considered. Major sources include such unpublished data as production and financial records of the theatre, contracts, correspondence, minutes of the board of directors, and interviews. Published sources include accounts in newspapers and periodicals.
Date: May 1981
Creator: Jones, Jan Lynn
System: The UNT Digital Library
Communicating Christianity to the Ashanti Tribe: A Study in Cross-Cultural Communication (open access)

Communicating Christianity to the Ashanti Tribe: A Study in Cross-Cultural Communication

The problem with which this study is concerned is that of identifying the significant variables involved in cross-cultural communication and applying these concepts in communicating the Christian faith to Ashanti tribe members of central Ghana in West Africa.
Date: December 1972
Creator: Davenport, Donald Dewayne
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Writing and Producing of Pecos Bill and the Indians, an Original Musical Comedy for Educational Theatre (open access)

The Writing and Producing of Pecos Bill and the Indians, an Original Musical Comedy for Educational Theatre

The writing and producing of this musical comedy was a creative production thesis. The playwright also served as director and designer. The organization of the thesis is basically the organization of the project.
Date: August 1968
Creator: Overton, William T.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Love is the Answer: a Creative Thesis Production Combining Multi-Media and Oral Interpretation (open access)

Love is the Answer: a Creative Thesis Production Combining Multi-Media and Oral Interpretation

The problem of this thesis in creative production is concerned with the use of multi-media in an oral interpretation program so as not to obscure the author's message. The production attempted to utilize literature chosen to represent a basic theme and present it with selected media so that a positive response is evoked from the audience. The study also attempts to show, through example, that a program of oral interpretation using multi-media can sustain audience interest for a full evening of entertainment. An attempt is also made to show that multi-media need not be in constant use, that some literature can best utilize the "subtractive theory" which intensifies the message by deleting a majority of media.
Date: August 1971
Creator: Lane, Todd K.
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Experiment in Open Theatre (open access)

An Experiment in Open Theatre

The purpose of this experiment has been to complete a challenging thesis production in the style and technique of Open Theatre, utilizing imaginative production effects. The purpose was also to provide a valuable experience for those actors and technicians involved, meeting the standards and requirements of educational theatre. The experiment evolved from adapting, designing, directing, and producing a twelve scene cutting from Megan Terry's Viet Rock and twelve episodes from Jean-Claude van Italliets The Serpent. The study was culminated with a one-evening performance of The serpent and Viet Rock on August 10, 1971. The style and technique of Open Theatre seemed to be well accepted and fulfilled the requirements which the script demanded. The reaction of the audience seemed to indicate that the response sought by the Comp any was accomplished. The conclusion may also be drawn that this experimental production was successful not only as art, but also as an evening of entertainment.
Date: August 1972
Creator: Peveto, Mildred A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Types of Love in Selected Plays by Lillian Hellman (open access)

Types of Love in Selected Plays by Lillian Hellman

This study analyzed The Children's Hour, The Little Foxes, Watch on the Rhine, Toys in the Attic in terms of the forms of human love delineated by Erich Fromm in The Art of Loving. The motives and actions of one or more principal characters and their dramatic situations were studied. It was discovered that, in the plays that were examined, each character responded to his or her situation in a loving or a hateful manner and that these choices with regard to love provided the dramatic matrix of the play.
Date: August 1983
Creator: Beck-Horn, Debrah A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Cutting and Adapting Prose and Poetry for Oral Interpretation (open access)

Cutting and Adapting Prose and Poetry for Oral Interpretation

The purpose of this study is to devise a method of developing competency in the cutting and adaptation of prose and poetry for oral interpretation. This method is a pervasive element of the thesis and consists of (1) general principles derived from theories expressed by both interpretation and literary authorities and from observations made in the classroom, (2) suggested guidelines for cutting specific forms of literature, and (3) illustration of these directives by application to selected prose and poetry.
Date: June 1970
Creator: Harlien, Rita Chambliss
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Impact of the Acting of David Garrick and Sir Laurence Olivier : A Comparative Analysis (open access)

The Impact of the Acting of David Garrick and Sir Laurence Olivier : A Comparative Analysis

Two men of genius who came from nowhere to break the rules were David Garrick in 1741 and Sir Laurence Olivier in 1937. These two men will be the major subjects of this thesis. Both Garrick and Olivier introduced new styles of acting to the theatre in Shakespearian plays.
Date: August 1968
Creator: Maberry, David R.
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Production Book for an Experimental Staging of Nikolai Gogol's The Inspector General (open access)

A Production Book for an Experimental Staging of Nikolai Gogol's The Inspector General

The January 17 and 18, 1966, thesis production presented at North Texas State University was an experimental production of The Inspector General, as based on historical, philosophical, and analytical study of both the play and the author, Nikolai Gogol. A thesis production consists of a written analysis and evaluation of the play and its author and the actual production of the play. The thesis production enables the candidate to illustrate his mastery of theatre discipline. The written portion demonstrates his ability to develop the concepts necessary to the production of a play, and the presentation of the play offers the candidate the opportunity to show his creativity and aesthetic understanding of theatre.
Date: August 1966
Creator: Peninger, John Edward
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Effects of a Masking Noise Upon the Performance of a Simple Motor Task Comparing Brain-Injured and Non-Brain-Injured Children (open access)

The Effects of a Masking Noise Upon the Performance of a Simple Motor Task Comparing Brain-Injured and Non-Brain-Injured Children

Two questions can be posed for study: 1) Will the effect of auditory masking provided by a clinical noise significantly affect the performance of hearing children on the Knox Cube Test? 2) Are there significant differences among brain-injured, mentally, retarded, and "normal" children in ability to adjust to auditory masking in the performance of the Knox Cube Test?
Date: August 1967
Creator: Moss, Barbara A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
History of the St. Charles Theatre of New Orleans under the Management of David Bidwell, 1880-1888 (open access)

History of the St. Charles Theatre of New Orleans under the Management of David Bidwell, 1880-1888

The objective of this investigation is to compile a chronological history of the St. Charles Theatre of New Orleans from 1880 to 1888, the last successful years of the theatre when it was under the management of David Bidwell. In order to clarify the role of the St. Charles Theatre as it reflected theatre art in New Orleans during the latter quarter of the nineteenth century, special attention will be given to the physical improvements of the theatre, the kind of entertainment provided, the personalities who appeared, and the critical comments of the local newspapers.
Date: May 1969
Creator: Roden, Sally Ann
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Survey of the Rhetorical Devices Employed by Women's Liberation Organizations in the United States (open access)

A Survey of the Rhetorical Devices Employed by Women's Liberation Organizations in the United States

Just as themes are important in the analysis of a movement, the means used to promote those themes are just as significant and that is the purpose of this paper. More specifically, the purposes are (1) to describe the sub-groups and report their goals, [2) to describe the numerous rhetorical devices extant in the movement, (3) to classify the subgroups into conservative or liberal categories: conservative, liberal, and those devices used by both conservatives and liberals, and (5) to suggest any trend of device usage which is apparent.
Date: December 1972
Creator: Simpson, Charles David
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Burkeian Analysis of the Rhetoric of Gloria Steinem (open access)

A Burkeian Analysis of the Rhetoric of Gloria Steinem

The purpose of this study has been to analyze the rhetoric of Gloria Steinem in order to determine how she uses identification in her attempts to unify the members of the Women's Liberation Movement and to enlist the cooperation of others outside the movement. The rhetorical theory and concepts of identification and consubstantiality developed by Kenneth Burke, literary and rhetorical critic, have been used in this study. The representative examples of Steinem's rhetoric which have been analyzed include a speech made at Southern Methodist University on February 3, 1972, Steinem's feature article "Sisterhood," which was published in the 1972 Spring Preview Issue of Ms. magazine, and a speech made by Steinem at the opening session of the National Women's Political Caucus in Houston, Texas, on February 9, 1973. This study has revealed Gloria Steinem to be, during the years from 1967 until the present time, a vital spokeswoman for the Women's Liberation Movement. The means through which Steinem chose to combat the oppression of women was rhetoric. The three examples of Steinem's rhetoric analyzed in this study indicate that her basic premise concerns the long-standing subjugation and exploitation of women by the ruling class -- white males.
Date: August 1973
Creator: Timmerman, Susan McCue
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Descriptive Study of the Response of Selected Groups Toward Controversial Symbols and Slogans (open access)

A Descriptive Study of the Response of Selected Groups Toward Controversial Symbols and Slogans

The purpose of this study is twofold (1) to describe the functions performed by symbols and slogans in communicating ideas, and (2) to quantify the responses of selected groups to contemporary controversial slogans and symbols.
Date: December 1970
Creator: Fussell, Mira T.
System: The UNT Digital Library
New Shades of Clown White: a Study of Selected Comic Pantomimists in Europe and America 1920-1970 (open access)

New Shades of Clown White: a Study of Selected Comic Pantomimists in Europe and America 1920-1970

This thesis is neither a textbook of pantomime, with instructions for the development of mimetic expertise, nor a history of pantomime. What is recorded here is the personal philosophy of the art of pantomime advanced by Jean-Louis Barrault, Étienne Decroux, Charlie Chaplin, Marcel Marceau, and Red Skelton. The section devoted to each artist contains the portions of his biography pertaining to his development as a mime and a representative sample of critical reactions to his work. In addition to this purpose, this thesis also offers evidence that the comic style of pantomime underwent a change in nature in its use by the mimes who are studied here. Whereas the comic style was original! y unique to pantomimes that had no other intent but to produce laughter or, at most, pathos by physical comedy, these mimes took the comic pantomime into the realms of introspection and philosophy.
Date: August 1972
Creator: Phillips, J. Michael
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Oral Interpreter's Approach to Selected Poetry of Langston Hughes (open access)

An Oral Interpreter's Approach to Selected Poetry of Langston Hughes

The purpose of this study was to analyze for oral presentation a selected body of poetry by Langston Hughes. Because Hughes read his own poetry in lecture recitals throughout his career, which spanned more than four decades, it is appropriate that he be considered for such a study.
Date: December 1971
Creator: Osentowski, Mary
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Burkeian Analysis of the Rhetoric of Malcolm X during the Last Phase of his Life, June 1964-February 1965 (open access)

A Burkeian Analysis of the Rhetoric of Malcolm X during the Last Phase of his Life, June 1964-February 1965

The purpose of the study has been to analyze the rhetoric of Malcolm X with Kenneth Burke's dramatistic pentad in order to gain a better understanding of Malcolm X's rhetorical strategies in providing answers to given situations. One speech, determined to be typical of Malcolm X during the last phase of his life, was chosen for the analysis. It was the speech delivered on December 20, 1964, during the visit of Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer, Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party candidate for the Senate.
Date: May 1972
Creator: Cadenhead, Evelyn
System: The UNT Digital Library
Margo Jones's Visions for Theatre (open access)

Margo Jones's Visions for Theatre

The purpose of this study is to make an account of the theatrical plans and activities of Margo Jones other than the productions in her theatre in Dallas and her experiences as a producer and director on Broadway.
Date: August 1968
Creator: Altermann, Mark A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Elimination of Cigarette Broadcast Advertising: A Model for Analysis and Prediction (open access)

The Elimination of Cigarette Broadcast Advertising: A Model for Analysis and Prediction

The problem with which this investigation is concerned is that of determining whether or not the history of cigarette advertising in broadcasting developed a pattern from which a model could be abstracted and applied to other product advertisements deemed "controversial" in broadcasting. The history of broadcast cigarette advertising is analyzed in an attempt to abstract a model, The .assumption is made that this model could be capable of predicting future regulation or elimination of broadcast advertising of controversial products.
Date: May 1973
Creator: Woodby, Kathleen Ruth
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Analysis and Production Book for a Contemporary Staging of Irwin Shaw's Bury the Dead (open access)

An Analysis and Production Book for a Contemporary Staging of Irwin Shaw's Bury the Dead

The problem of this thesis is concerned with the directing and producing of a 1936 peace play, Bury the Dead, by Irwin Shaw. The production attempts to heighten the relevancy of the play to modern audiences. The project experiments with applying contemporary machines and techniques to a dated script containing realistic dialogue, a dualistic point of view, and a surrealistic idea of dead soldiers rising from their graves. The task generates a particular responsibility and challenge in that the use of contemporary machinery must be carefully chosen in such a way that it does not interfere with the message of the play.
Date: August 1973
Creator: Holland, Charles Austin
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Analysis of Three Modes of Group Interpretation in the Speech Arts Curriculum (open access)

An Analysis of Three Modes of Group Interpretation in the Speech Arts Curriculum

Four objectives guided the research and writing of this thesis. First, there was an attempt to identify and establish specific educational goals for a group interpretation production. Second, there was an effort to describe certain procedures for selecting, adapting, arranging, and presenting a piece of literature to an audience through a group interpretation performance. Third, this thesis attempted to relate the three modes of group interpretation—Choric Interpretation, Readers Theatre, and Chamber Theatre—as a single art form. Fourth, there has been an attempt to suggest specific evaluative criteria and evaluation sheets for group interpretation performances.
Date: August 1968
Creator: Young, Jerry D.
System: The UNT Digital Library
1972 Presidential Campaign Investigation Based on Attitude Measurements of Candidate Images (open access)

1972 Presidential Campaign Investigation Based on Attitude Measurements of Candidate Images

The relationship of attitude measurement with the political campaign process provides the problem area that this study considers. The purpose of this political communication study is to explore in detail and describe various "attitude" profiles of voters and resulting candidate "images" of the 1972 presidential election. These "attitudes" and "images" are determined through the use of three primary research instruments: the semantic differential scale, the Method of Ordered Alternatives, and the political philosophy continuum. In addition to these, a record of actual voting behavior serves as validating support of the measured attitudes. This study deals with "attitudes" toward and candidate "images" of George McGovern, R. Sargent Shriver, Richard M. Nixon, and Spiro T. Agnew, the Democratic and Republican candidates for President and Vice-President in 1972. This descriptive investigation unfolds into three major problem areas: 1. to report and describe "panoramic images" of Nixon,. McGovern, Agnew, and Shriver, as measured by the semantic differential scale. 2. to give an account of voter preferred positions A through I as measured by the Method of Ordered Alternatives in connection with "attitude" as measured by the evaluative factor of the semantic differential scale, and subsequently aligned with actual voting behavior. 3. to determine the …
Date: December 1973
Creator: Ricks, Dana Carol
System: The UNT Digital Library
Family Crisis Intervention Training: A Creative Framework (open access)

Family Crisis Intervention Training: A Creative Framework

The purpose of this analysis is to construct a program framework relating relevant factors of the law enforcement environment to a communication crisis training format. Such a design transcends simple reporting of existing programs by incorporating the as yet unrelated research of communicologists, psychologists, and sociologists into a unified approach. The underlying thrust of this study encourages the development of a broader base for police training. The need for that broader base, with full awareness of the interrelated nature of this program to the policeman's total responsibilities, seems apparent. The approach of this design seeks to be creatively utilization rather than traditionally value-laden.
Date: December 1973
Creator: Roemisch, Jerry Joe
System: The UNT Digital Library