The purpose of this study was to analyze the content of selected television commercials according to Kenneth Burke's theory of the rhetoric of rebirth. A supplementary Burkeian method called cluster analysis was also used. The analysis revealed, that the rhetoric of rebirth was incorporated in the commercials to stimulate guilt in the television audience. The products offered in the commercials supposedly purged this guilt, transforming the person to a new way of life. The analysis revealed meanings inherent in the word choices for various commercials as well as the potential impact of those words. The study isolated several underlying motifs in the substance of the commercials. The effect of the visual message may cause the audience to overlook the message of the words. Experimental research cited in this study confirms this hypothesis.

The purpose of this project was to prepare a script for group interpretation based upon the theme of "alienation" as it occurs in selected works of contemporary American poets. The script was produced for an audience on the North Texas State University campus under the direction of the writer. The thesis includes the script, a discussion of the process of adaptation, and an evaluation of the production. The evaluation is based, in part upon the written critiques of four expert guest critics.

Twenty-one original prose selections were written for use by junior high school students of oral interpretation. A survey of textbook publishers and junior high school teachers revealed a need for material of appropriate length and of suitable reading and interest levels for oral reading in the junior high school classroom. The selections were read and evaluated by a group of junior high students and a junior high teacher of speech. The responses indicate that the selections are effective and usable as an instructional aid in teaching oral interpretation in junior high school.

Justification of Neil Simon's credibility as a comedic playwright by examining established principles of comedy and humor from Aristotle to Bergson to Bier, and their prevalence in The Star Spangled Girl, Last of the Red Hot Lovers, Promises, Promises, and Chapter Two.

It was the purpose of this thesis to write an original script especially designed for Readers Theatre and to direct and produce that script for public performance. The thesis consists of an introduction which includes background material, a review of the literature concerning Readers Theatre, and the problems of writing an original script. The thesis includes the script as well as an evaluation of the attendant problems concerning the direction and production.

Grandy's Country Cookin' Inc. is a chain of restaurants specializing in fried chicken dinners. standardized instructional films were needed to teach employees Grandy's operational procedures. The producer was commissioned to make five films to provide visual job descriptions for new employees and managers. These fast-paced films depict actual job situations: "Chicken Cutting," "Breakfast Preparation," "Customer Relations," "System of Operation," and "Drive-Thru Relations," "System of Operation," and "Drive-Thru Service." An accompanying production book describes the making of Grandy's Training. The book examines the background against which the project was proposed, details the problems and procedures of production, and describes the experience of dealing with a client at a professional level.

The problem which concerns this thesis is the directing, designing, and mounting of Woody Allen's Play It Again, Sam under the auspices of the 1974 North Texas State University Summer Repertory Theatre Company. Chapter I contains a detailed examination of the playscript, an analysis of each of the characters, and criticism of Woody Allen's work. Chapter II deals with the chief problems and strategies involved in production. The preparation of the playscript, the cast and production staff, the design process, the front-of-house activities, and rehearsal experience are discussed in detail. Chapter III is the production book itself and includes the script, the blocking, and the light and sound cues. Chapter IV contains a critical summary of the project and recommendations for future study.

This thesis considers first, the existence of a relatively new kind of characterization in the plays of Harold Pinter, and second, the need for the actor who performs Pinter to seek a new mode of acting. The purpose of the study is to identify the special problems or tasks which are thus imposed on the actor who plays a Pinter character. An examination of Pinter's dramaturgy reveals an emphasis on character relationships and a combination of the three different styles of characterization defined by Lorenz Kjerbuhl-Petersen: the type, the individual, and the shadow. This study concludes that the Pinter actor must simultaneously perceive a complex psyche in what seems a common human type, create an individualized concept of personality although information and behavior are misleading, and allow the actor's personality to color and expand that of the character.

This examination of the most popular plays of Rodolfo Usigli, Salvador Novo, and Emilio Carballido shows their concern with Mexico's social problems--especially as evidenced by their representation of contemporary social classes through characterization. Treating socio-political and sexual problems with special emphasis upon psychology, Usigli combines melodramatic reality and imagination. Psychoanalysis is also important in Novo's characterizations; his themes and characters express a social criticism which often becomes a malicious satire of Mexican life. Carballido's symbolic surrealism creates an atmosphere of fantasy, with scenic neo-realism representing everyday life, bourgeois ideas, and the Mexican psychology.

This thesis examines four taboo words (Jesus, God, fuck, ass) used in the films Jaws, Shampoo, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. The dominant method of research is semantic, drawing on language theories of I.A. Richards and Alfred Korzybski. Investigation led to these conclusions: (1) Symbolic use of taboo terms is accompanied by positive attitudes, while non-symbolic use, which is more frequent, is accompanied by negative or neutral attitudes. (2) Casual non-symbolic pronunciation is leading to separation of the symbol from its referent. (3) Through this methodology, it is possible to ascertain the speaker's intent and his attitude toward the audience, but not his attitude toward the referent.

This thesis examines the symbolism of thirty-five slave songs that existed in the pre-Civil War South in the United States in order to gain a more profound insight into the values of the slaves. The songs chosen were representative of the 300 songs reviewed. The methodology used in the analysis was adapted from Ralph K. White's "Value Analysis: The Nature and Use of the Method." The slave songs provided the slaves with an opportunity to express their feelings on matters they deemed important, often by using Biblical symbols to "mask" the true meanings of their songs from whites. The major values of the slaves as found in their songs were independence, justice, determination, religion, hope, family love, and group unity.

This study first summarizes extant empirical research concerning role depiction of women in television. Analysis of these studies show television's portrayal of women as discriminatory. Second, this study reports results of an original survey of women's organizations to determine what stands and actions had been taken concerning (1) role depiction and (2) employment of women by the television industry. Out of ninety-two organizations surveyed, fifty-one (55 percent) returned useable questionnaires. Responding groups fell into nine categories, with political and educational organizations most active. National Organization for Women was particularly active. Responding groups most often used "citizen action" and "informational actions" to achieve goals.

The purpose of this play is to dramatize the change of government in ancient Greece from a matriarchy to a patriarchy and from rule by the Ionian to rule by the Dorian Greeks through the last years of Helen of Troy. Faced with a challenge by her husband, Menelaus, who wants his sons to rule, Helen manages through intrigue to arrange for her daughter to gain the throne. Helen herself becomes a "goddess."

The purpose of the study was to compile a catalog of two sections: (1) a comprehensive, alphabetic, annotated list of North Texas State University (NTSU) Library films (the general catalog); and (2) a classified and cross-referenced film and broadcasting filmography of NTSU Library films. The catalog represents all films available for distribution from the NTSU Library as of July, 1976. The cataloging and compilation process is described. An analysis is made of the NTSU Library film collection. The titles of 13 films are recommended for addition to the collection.